The CAGE screening questionnaire is used to screen for alcohol abuse and dependence in adults. It is not used to diagnose the disease but only to indicate whether a problem may exist. If you answer "yes" to even 1 of the questions, you may have a problem with alcohol.
The CAGE questionnaire consists of four questions about your use of alcohol:
1 - Have you ever felt you ought to Cut down on your drinking or drug use?
- Do you get Annoyed at criticism of your drinking or drug use?
- Do you ever feel Guilty about your drinking or drug use?
- Do you ever take an Early-morning drink (eye-opener) or use drugs first thing in the morning ("a little hair of the dog that bit you") to get the day started or eliminate the "shakes"?
There is a strong connection between the use of drugs and alcohol and high-risk sexual behaviors. This increases a person's chance of getting sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), hepatitis C, and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).