A new study has found that HIV infection and chronic drinking can cause problems with short-term episodic memory, HealthDay News reports.

According to a study that appears in an online version of Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, more than half of HIV-positive clinic patients were also heavy drinkers. While the patients’ long-term memory seemed unaffected, they did appear to have more problems with their short-term memory, which is associated with the ability to learn new information.

Sara Jo Nixon, PhD, a professor in the department of psychiatry at the University of Florida at Gainsville, said that the inability to learn might affect various aspects of an HIV-positive person’s life, such as adhering to medication routines.