Experiences of harm and mental ill-health among gay, bisexual and other men-who-have-sex-with-men who use methamphetamine or GHB/GBL in different combinations: findings from the COMeT study in Taiwan.

Autor: Hsu JH; Department of Public Health, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, National Cheng Kung University, 8F-8068, No. 138, ShengLi Rd., North Dist., Tainan City, 704, Taiwan., Huang P; Institute of Health Behaviors and Community Sciences, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.; Master of Public Health Degree Program, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan., Li CW; Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan., Bourne A; Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia.; Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia., Strong C; Department of Public Health, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, National Cheng Kung University, 8F-8068, No. 138, ShengLi Rd., North Dist., Tainan City, 704, Taiwan. carol.chiajung@gmail.com., Ku SW; Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Taipei City Hospital Renai Branch, Taipei, Taiwan.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: Harm reduction journal [Harm Reduct J] 2024 Oct 07; Vol. 21 (1), pp. 181. Date of Electronic Publication: 2024 Oct 07.
DOI: 10.1186/s12954-024-01094-8
Abstrakt: Introduction: Polydrug use in the context of chemsex is commonplace among gay, bisexual, and other men-who-have-sex-with-men (GBMSM). This study aimed to examine the differences in experiences of physical, social, and psychological harms, as well as mental ill-health among GBMSM who use different combinations of methamphetamine and gamma-hydroxybutyric acid/gamma-butyrolactone (GHB/GBL) during chemsex.
Method: Adult GBMSM participants who had experience of chemsex in the past 12 months participated in a cross-sectional online survey in Taiwan and self-reported their sociodemographic background, sexual behaviours, mental health, and experiences of harm following a chemsex session. We used univariable and multivariable logistic regression to assess the different experiences of harm and mental ill-health among GBMSM who engaged in chemsex without using methamphetamine, used methamphetamine but not GHB/GBL, and who used both drugs.
Results: Out of 510 participants who completed all items included in the analysis, 24.1% engaged in chemsex without using methamphetamine, 36.9% used methamphetamine but not GHB/GBL, and 39.0% used both drugs. Eighty five percent of men who used both methamphetamine and GHB/GBL reported at least one kind of social harm after a chemsex session, such as missing dates or appointments, or appearing "high" at work, followed by used methamphetamine but not GHB/GBL (69.7%) and those without using methamphetamine (37.4%). After controlling for polydrug and frequency of drug use in the multivariable logistic regression, those who used methamphetamine but not GHB/GBL and those who used both drugs were more likely to report experiencing physical and psychological harms compared to those who did not use methamphetamine (p < 0.003).
Conclusion: GBMSM who used both methamphetamine and GHB/GBL in a chemsex context were more likely to report experience of harms than those who only used a single chemsex drug or engaged in chemsex without methamphetamine or GHB/GBL. Harm reduction should focus on both preventing HIV and STI transmission and on minimising psychosocial harm to GBMSM, with varying impacts depending on drug use.
(© 2024. The Author(s).)
Databáze: MEDLINE
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