Drug use and perceived social support in a sexual minority

Abstract

Aim To evaluate the perception of social support in a sexual minority and to associate it with the risk of drug addiction. Method Cross-sectional study, with 254 self-declared gay, bisexual, lesbian, or transsexual participants in the city of Fortaleza, between October and December 2019. Data analyzed by descriptive statistics and likelihood ratio tests. Results Most were satisfied with social support between low and medium (74.4%). The most commonly used drugs were alcohol (91.5%), tobacco (67.4%) and marijuana (66.9%). Assessing the risk of addiction, 28.7% scored it as low, 46.9% as moderate, and 9.8% as high risk. There was significance between satisfaction of social support and years of study. Conclusion We found a level of satisfaction between low and medium, and it was possible to report the most consumed drugs. There was no association between social support and drug use, although the weaknesses and strengths of social support have been highlighted.

Continuing nursing education actions in the face of homophobia: an integrative review

“…At moderate levels of social satisfaction, the consumption of these substances is considered high, with an average risk of dependence in 46.9% of LGBTQIAPN+ people who use this means to escape the lack of social support and stress due to prejudice. When consump-tion occurs immediately before or during sexual practices (chemical sex), people are also exposed to vulnerable behavior in terms of the risk of contamination by HIV, viral hepatitis and other STIs, due to the loss of decision-making capacity in the use of condoms and the perception of risk of contamination, heightened by the lack of guidance and access to information and combined prevention methods in health services ( 36 , 37 ) .…”

“…At moderate levels of social satisfaction, the consumption of these substances is considered high, with an average risk of dependence in 46.9% of LGBTQIAPN+ people who use this means to escape the lack of social support and stress due to prejudice. When consumption occurs immediately before or during sexual practices (chemical sex), people are also exposed to vulnerable behavior in terms of the risk of contamination by HIV, viral hepatitis and other STIs, due to the loss of decision-making capacity in the use of condoms and the perception of risk of contamination, heightened by the lack of guidance and access to information and combined prevention methods in health services (36)(37) . The complexity of psychological distress, especially among LGBTQIAPN+ adolescents, also requires mental healthcare providers to take actions and strategies that enable acceptance and coping with the violence experienced and, due to the multiplicity of demands, educational actions on effective treatment and services for these people become even more necessary (38) .…”

Ações de educação permanente da enfermagem frente à homofobia: uma revisão integrativa

“…Em níveis de satisfação socia l moderado, o consumo dessas substâncias é considerado alto, com risco médio de dependência em 46,9% das pessoas LGBTQIAPN+ que utilizam esse meio para escape da falta de apoio social e estresse por preconceito. Quando o consumo ocorre imediatamente antes ou durante as práticas sexuais (sexo químico), há a exposição das pessoas também ao comportamento vulnerável quanto ao risco de contaminação pelo HIV, hepatites virais e outras ISTs, devido à perda de capacidade de decisão no uso de preservativos e da percepção de risco de contaminação, potencializada pela falta de orientação e acesso nos serviços de saúde de informações e de métodos de prevenção combinada (36)(37) .…”