A comparison of alcohol consumption between lesbians and heterosexual women in an urban population.

An elevated rate of alcohol problems is believed to exist in the gay and lesbian community. However, prevalence estimates suggesting this have generally been based on convenience samples which have over-represented bar patrons and clinical sources. Recent epidemiological studies examining risk factors for AIDS have gathered information on alcohol consumption as well as sexual orientation. Data based on improved sampling methods are now available for estimating drinking rates of lesbians and gay men. This study compares the drinking patterns of heterosexual women and lesbian/bisexual women who were recruited through a random sampling design in San Francisco, CA. Contrary to previous research, no statistically significant differences in alcohol consumption and drinking patterns between these two groups were found.