Attitude and beliefs about the social environment associated with chemsex among MSM visiting STI clinics in the Netherlands: An observational study

Evers, Ymke J.; Geraets, Jill J. H.; Liere, Geneviève A F S van; Hoebe, Christian J. P. A.; Dukers-Muijrers, Nicole H T M

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0235467

Cited by 16 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…The most commonly used drugs for enhancing sexual experiences in MSM are the so-called “chemsex substances” [ 17 , 25 ]. These include gamma-hydroxybutyrate/gamma-butyrolactone (GHB/GBL or “liquid ecstasy”), 4-methylmetcathinone (mephedrone), N-methyl-1-phenylpropan-2-amine (methamphetamine or “crystal”), and ketamine [ 8 , 17 , 26 , 27 , 28 ]. However, other more traditional sexualized drug use (SDU) may be involved in chemsex practices.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mental Health Symptoms Associated with Sexualized Drug Use (Chemsex) among Men Who Have Sex with Men: A Systematic Review

Íncera-Fernández

Gámez-Guadix

Moreno-Guillén

2021

IJERPH

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Background: Sexualized drug use (SDU), also known as chemsex, refers to the use of psychoactive substances for sexual purposes among men who have sex with men (MSM), which has been associated with mental health symptoms. The objective of this review is to systematically review the available evidence on mental health outcomes in MSM who use sexualized drugs. Methods: To prepare this systematic review, search strategies were developed and applied to the Web of Science, Science Direct, PubMed, and Scopus databases. A total of 117 articles were found, of which 12 were selected for the final review. Results: Those MSM who practiced SDU were more likely to experience from depression, anxiety, or a substance dependence, although these results were not found in all the studies analyzed. Among those who practiced the administration of intravenous drugs (referred to as slamsex), the mental health symptoms were more severe. Conclusions: This systematic review contributes to a fuller understanding of the mental health symptoms present in MSM who consume drugs for sexual purposes. Greater uniformity in data collection instruments is required, as well as the need to conduct a more in-depth assessment of the psychosocial adjustment of people who practice chemsex.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mental Health Symptoms Associated with Sexualized Drug Use (Chemsex) among Men Who Have Sex with Men: A Systematic Review

Íncera-Fernández

Gámez-Guadix

Moreno-Guillén

2021

IJERPH

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“…30 In our population, it is important to consider the additional vulnerability marker related to 'being a chemsex practitioner', as this stigmatized behavior may hinder recruitment of participants for health services, censuses, and research studies, as well as influence their willingness to disclose information about their sexual behavior, making them more invisible. 11,34,44,45 On the one hand, there is a shortage of studies providing an analysis of how chemsex practice may influence the intention to use PrEP, as well as its relationship with physical, social, cultural, and sexual factors present in the affective and sexual relationships of MSM. On the other hand, existing research on this topic provides limited and often conflicting data.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Intention to use PrEP among men who have sex with men and engage in chemsex: an international descriptive study

Sousa,

Nunes Ribeiro,

Santos

et al. 2023

Therapeutic Advances in Infection

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Background: Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is a valuable tool in the response to the HIV epidemic, recommended for groups with a higher risk of HIV infection, such as men who have sex with men (MSM), particularly in the context of high-risk sexual behavior such as chemsex. Purpose: This study aimed to analyze the prevalence and factors associated with the intention to use PrEP among MSM who engage in chemsex in Brazil and Portugal. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of a secondary dataset from a larger study conducted between January 2020 and May 2021 throughout Brazil and Portugal involving 1852 MSM who engage in chemsex. An initial descriptive analysis was performed to calculate the absolute and relative frequencies of independent variables related to the intention to use PrEP among MSM. A multivariate regression model was developed to identify factors independently associated with the intention to use PrEP. Results: Although a high level of PrEP knowledge (85.75%) was observed among MSM who engage in chemsex, the prevalence of intention to use PrEP was only 59.07%. Five variables were associated with a higher prevalence of intention to use PrEP [engaging in double penetration – adjusted prevalence ratio (aPR): 1.56, 95% CI: 1.44–1.69; being assigned female sex at birth – aPR: 1.34, 95% CI: 1.12–1.61; cruising – aPR: 1.21, 95% CI: 1.06–1.38; not using condoms – aPR: 1.20, 95% CI: 1.05–1.36; and being an immigrant – aPR: 1.16; 95% CI: 1.07–1.25], while having knowledge of postexposure prophylaxis (aPR: 0.91; 95% CI: 0.84–0.98), having a casual sexual partner (aPR: 0.86 and 0.85; 95% CI: 0.74–0.99 and 0.74–0.98), and engaging in group sex (aPR: 0.81; 95% CI: 0.73–0.90) were associated with a lower intention to use PrEP. Conclusion: The intention to use PrEP among MSM who engage in chemsex was high, and several factors were associated with this intention. Understanding the factors associated with the intention to use PrEP among MSM practicing chemsex is crucial for developing targeted interventions to increase PrEP uptake in this population. The results of this study suggest that tailored approaches are necessary to promote PrEP use in this population.

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“…The term “chemsex” refers to the voluntary intake of psychoactive and non-psychoactive drugs in the context of sexual parties and sexual relations. 30 It is particularly associated with the population of men who have sex with men (MSM) to facilitate prolonged sexual sessions, almost always associated with multiple sexual partners. 31 While it can facilitate, initiate, prolong, sustain, and intensify sexual encounters, it can also promote dryness of the genital mucous membranes, dehydration, and loss of sensitivity, significantly increasing the chances of injuries and bleeding, which, in turn, favors HIV infection.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sexual exposure to HIV in Angolan men who have sex with men immigrants: A cross-sectional study in Portugal and Brazil

et al. 2023

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Background In different contexts, international migrants are vulnerable to health disparities that increase the risk of HIV/AIDS exposure and continue to bear a significant burden of new virus infections in developed and developing countries. In this study, we sought to examine sexual practices and factors linked to HIV exposure among a sample of Angolan men who have sex with men (MSM) immigrants. Methods The study was conducted in two Portuguese-speaking countries, Brazil and Portugal, and involved 250 Angolan MSM immigrants between September 2020 and February 2021, using sampling methods to constitute the sample and the HIV Incidence Risk Index (HIRI) to define virus exposure risk. Odds ratio (OR) and adjusted odds ratio (aOR) were used to calculate the chances of higher HIRI index in the sample. Results Our results showed that 76.8% of participants presented a high HIRI index, influenced by the practice of chemsex (aOR: 4.26), having a known/repeated partner (aOR: 4.59), and engaging in passive sex without a condom in the last 30 days (aOR: 1.29) or 6 months (aOR: 1.98). Conclusions It is crucial to focus on this vulnerable population and implement sexual health policies that integrate combined HIV prevention measures aimed at immigrant MSM.

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Attitude and beliefs about the social environment associated with chemsex among MSM visiting STI clinics in the Netherlands: An observational study

Cited by 16 publications

References 34 publications

Mental Health Symptoms Associated with Sexualized Drug Use (Chemsex) among Men Who Have Sex with Men: A Systematic Review

Mental Health Symptoms Associated with Sexualized Drug Use (Chemsex) among Men Who Have Sex with Men: A Systematic Review

Intention to use PrEP among men who have sex with men and engage in chemsex: an international descriptive study

Sexual exposure to HIV in Angolan men who have sex with men immigrants: A cross-sectional study in Portugal and Brazil

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