Information-seeking behaviours in Australian sexual minority men engaged in chemsex.

Autor:	Demant D; School of Public Health, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, Australia.; School of Public Health and Social Work, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia., Carroll JA; School of Public Health and Social Work, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia., Saliba B; School of Public Health, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, Australia.; The Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia., Bourne A; Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia.
Jazyk:	angličtina
Zdroj:	Addictive behaviors reports [Addict Behav Rep] 2021 Dec 11; Vol. 16, pp. 100399. Date of Electronic Publication: 2021 Dec 11 (Print Publication: 2022).
DOI:	10.1016/j.abrep.2021.100399
Abstrakt:	Introduction: Chemsex refers to using illicit substances to facilitate sexual experiences in men who have sex with men. Chemsex has been linked to significant negative impacts on psychological, social, and physical wellbeing. Little is known about information-seeking behaviours in this population. This study aims to provide an in-depth understanding of seeking and engaging with health information. Methods: Self-identified Australian sexual minority men who engage in chemsex (N = 184) participated in an anonymous cross-sectional survey. Variables included chemsex engagement, knowledge, perception and use of harm-reduction information, and associated health and support services. Pearson correlation and ANOVAs were conducted. Wilcoxon-Signed-Rank and Friedman tests were applied to analyse the perceived trustworthiness of information sources. Results: Chemsex represented a meaningful part of sexual events. Most participants knew where to access professional help and harm-reduction information but worried about being judged. Most did not feel comfortable discussing chemsex with health professionals except with sexual health doctors/counsellors. Few users discussed health risks with a professional. Information on chemsex was received through multiple sources with significant differences in perceived relevance and trustworthiness, with sexual health doctors/nurses ranked the most trustworthy information. Interest in non-traditional sources of information was low except for formal peer networks and anonymous personal expert advice. Conclusion: Engagement with health professionals and harm-reduction information is limited in this population, despite high risk and potentially significant adverse health outcomes. Results suggest that new and combined approaches are necessary to reach this population, including peer support networks, anonymous personal advice and changing community attitudes towards chemsex. Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper. (© 2021 The Authors.)
Databáze:	MEDLINE
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