Gay meth

Information, support, and resources for gay men who use methamphetamine. Last month the medical journal The Lancet published a news feature , 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.

In relation to sex, a term previously used to describe sex without condoms. site is graphic and frank in its information about sex and drug use. However, we now know that protection from HIV can be achieved by taking PrEP or the HIV-positive partner having an undetectable viral load, without condoms being required.

In , 32 people said they took methamphetamine; this went up to in and people in And these figures are overshadowed by over , people who are treated for problems with opiates or crack cocaine. These figures relate to people of all sexualities attending drug treatment services across England.

Crystal methamphetamine, better known as crystal meth, has been a health concern for the LGBTQ community since the late s, when it became a popular party drug among gay and bisexual men in New York City. An odds ratio above 1 means something is more likely to happen in the group of interest; an odds ratio below 1 means it is less likely to happen.

But is there new evidence of increasing use of crystal meth by gay men in the UK? The data which suggest a recent upsurge in the use of crystal meth are based on the use of specialist clinics and services. Monty Moncrieff of Antidote told aidsmap. Antidote has also an increasing number of men using GBL gamma-Butyrolactone and mephedrone.

Comparing one group with another, expresses differences in the odds of something happening. Concern about the drug is hardly new — it has been an issue in US gay communities since the s. National Treatment Agency data also show an increase but suggest that the overall scale of the problem is limited.

Gay men are more likely to try meth than straight men. Research has found that the drug is closely linked to sexual risk-taking among men who have sex with men and that it has been a major driver of HIV transmission among this population. Though meth is a destructive force in every demographic, it’s particularly damaging within the gay community.

1. Meth has long been associated with gay men. When discussing statistics, a trend often describes an apparent difference between results that is not statistically significant. In everyday language, a general movement upwards or downwards e. The term has fallen out of favour due to its ambiguity.

One especially troubling phenomenon is the rise of crystal methamphetamine (meth) use among gay men. 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 data that could support or refute such a claim.

Both will be publishing detailed service use data in the coming months. One explanation for this could be that gay men struggle with acceptance in ways straight men don’t have to. Mental health problems that stop someone from thinking clearly and telling the difference between reality and their imagination.

Nonetheless the data from Antidote are striking. There are concerns that use of the drug is associated with unprotected sex, multiple partners and needle sharing, leading to transmission of HIV, hepatitis C and other sexually transmitted infections. 18+ only!. 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.

Here’s a closer look at the phenomenon, along with why finding the right treatment program can be the key to recovery. Moreover, there are only a handful of specialist services for gay drug users in the country, seeing a limited number of individuals. This is a drug and alcohol project which works with lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender LGBT people in London.

The most pressing concerns are based on data that indicates crystal meth can potentially help promote a virulent strain of HIV (dubbed the HIV “SuperVirus”) and/or severely reduce the effects of life-saving HIV medications. The lost inhibitions induced by the drug are in such contradiction to the lifetime of suppression that most gay men have to adopt, that the appeal is magnetic.

The immediate problems men present with may be psychosis associated with crystal meth or dependence on GBL, but self-esteem, intimacy, sexual identity and internalised homophobia are often underlying issues. Growing up gay and being forced.