Meth gays
The use of low-cost and potent crystal methamphetamine (meth) is reaching a “crisis point in Canada” and globally, replacing opioids as the drug of selection in some areas.
In media and policy conversations about this drug, one important population is often missed out: Gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (herein, referred to as homosexual and queer men).
Used alone or in combination with other substances, the sexualized use of meth is a train often referred to as “chemsex” or “party n’ play.” It is one of the key drivers of upper and rising HIV rates and other sexually transmitted infections. And meth exploit can lead to many other negative health outcomes, including depression, anxiety and suicide.
Unfortunately, there are limited options accessible for gay and queer men who want to quit or reduce their meth consumption. Most sexual health-care services do not give specialized substance employ services. Similarly, conventional substance use services do not examine how a patient’s sexuality or sexual behaviour may relate to their drug use patterns.
My research team at the British Columbia Centre on Substance Use recently published a systematic review offering compelling evide
Crystal meth and London male lover men – examining the evidence
Last month the medical journal The Lancet published a news highlight, 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 related 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 1990s. 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 statistics that could support or refute such a claim.
Glossary
odds ratio (OR)
Comparing one collective with another, expresses differences in the odds of something happening. An odds ratio above 1 means something is more likely to happen in the group of interest; an odds rati
Les bibliothèques
du GHU Paris
The book is divided into three parts to aid guide the reader through this multifaceted topic. The first part, "The Matchless Storm," examines how, through the release of dopamine and other neurotransmitters, methamphetamine has phenomenal power to change one's mood and entice the user to in
HIV Diagnosis Linked to Higher Risk of Meth Use in Gay and Attracted to both genders 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 pansexual 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 exploit and co-occurring mental health issues and also the peril and protective factors that help us understand why some young men grow 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 exploit , Mustanski and his collaborators set out to investigate the connection further.
“People living with HIV possess elevated systemic inflammation compared to pe
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 known 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 task to facilitate, prolong or enhance the sexual experience.
In the 2017 The European MSM Internet Survey (EMIS), 15% of gay, bisexual person 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 concern around chemsex in the region, the EU’s Drug Strategy 2021-2025 included LGBTI+ people for the first time. It emphasises the importance of acknowledging the diversity of people who uses drugs but it only refers to the LGBTI+ community once in general and still does not ad