Meth and gays
The use of cheap and potent crystal methamphetamine (meth) is reaching a “crisis point in Canada” and globally, replacing opioids as the drug of decision in some areas.
In media and policy conversations about this drug, one important population is often missed out: Gay, multi-attracted and other men who have sex with men (herein, referred to as gay and queer men).
Used alone or in combination with other substances, the sexualized use of meth is a practice often referred to as “chemsex” or “party n’ play.” It is one of the key drivers of high and rising HIV rates and other sexually transmitted infections. And meth use can lead to many other negative health outcomes, including depression, anxiety and suicide.
Unfortunately, there are limited options available for gay and queer men who want to quit or reduce their meth consumption. Most sexual health-care services do not suggest specialized substance use services. Similarly, conventional substance apply services do not evaluate how a patient’s sexuality or sexual behaviour may relate to their drug use patterns.
My explore team at the Briti
Crystal meth and London queer men – examining the evidence
Last month the medical journal The Lancet published a news main attraction, describing an increasing number of London gay men who take methamphetamine (crystal meth), including a significant number who inject it, often at 'chill-outs' and sex parties. There are concerns that use of the drug is paired with unprotected sex, multiple partners and needle sharing, leading to transmission of HIV, hepatitis C and other sexually transmitted infections.
Concern about the drug is hardly new – it has been an issue in US gay communities since the s. There have been anecdotal reports of use by UK gay men in recent years, with the issue being thoroughly examined by HIV treatment update three years ago.
And, more recently, some have linked alcohol and drug use to the unchanged rate of new HIV infections in UK gay men over the past decade, although there are no facts that could support or refute such a claim.
Glossary
odds ratio (OR)
Comparing one community with another, expresses differences in the odds of something happening. An od
HIV Diagnosis Linked to Higher Risk of Meth Use in Gay and Double attraction Men
People assigned male at birth who belong to a sexual or gender minority group were twice as likely to use methamphetamine following an HIV diagnosis, according to a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Methamphetamine use has been a concern for gay and multi-attracted men for decades, said Brian Mustanski, PhD, the study’s lead author and director of the Institute for Sexual and Gender Minority Health and Wellbeing (ISGMH) and the Third Coast Center for AIDS Research.
“What we’re really trying to understand is the epidemiology of HIV, substance apply and co-occurring mental health issues and also the exposure and protective factors that help us understand why some young men expand these interconnected health issues more than others,” said Mustanski, who is also a professor of Medical Social Sciences.
Because previous research has shown a link between lowered dopamine signaling in HIV and the potential for substance utilize, Mustanski and his collaborators set out to investigate the
What draws gay men to slamming: the rush, pleasure or kinship?
Gay and bisexual men living in the Netherlands reported intense rush, less sexual inhibition, pleasure and kinship among the perceived benefits of slamming in a master thesis titled ‘Meth, Sex, Health and Pleasure’ from Utrecht University.
Slamming is the intravenous injection of crystal methamphetamine (also famous as crystal meth, tina and ice). Similar to chemsex involving different substances (including GHB/GBL, mephedrone, MDMA and, to a lesser extent, cocaine and ketamine), slamming can take place before or during sexual activity to facilitate, prolong or enhance the sexual experience.
In the The European MSM Internet Survey (EMIS), 15% of gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men from 50 European countries reported ever having chemsex and over 10% had done so in the past 12 months. Accompanying these findings and increased relate to around chemsex in the region, the EU’s Drug Strategy included LGBTI+ people for the first time. It emphasises the importance of recognizing the diversity of people who uses d