Meth and gay men

Many gay men are tempted to inject meth at sex parties, which can go on for days. Those same experts warn that the IV meth use trend is likely linked to the disturbing rise of HIV infection rates among gay men.

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. 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. Concern about the drug is hardly new — it has been an issue in US gay communities since the s.

The National Survey on Drug Use and Health estimated that in , past-year meth use prevalence was more than four times higher among gay men compared to straight men — at percent.

Morning Rundown: National Guard tests D. In , Jason Yamas was a year-old multimedia producer working for a Grammy Award-winning artist. But by the following year, life as he knew it started to deteriorate.

Here’s a look at 7 alarming facts concerning meth use in the gay community. Meth Abuse is Rampant In general, gay men report higher levels of drug and alcohol addiction than their straight counterparts. Over the last 15 years, crystal meth has grown into a particularly destructive force in the gay community.

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The promising medication-based treatment comes as meth's use is surging in the general population and dangerously merging with the opioid crisis.

People assigned male at birth who belong to a sexual or gender minority group were twice as likely to use methamphetamine following an HIV diagnosis, according to a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Because previous research has shown a link between lowered dopamine signaling in HIV and the potential for substance use, Mustanski and his collaborators set out to investigate the connection further. In the current study, investigators analyzed instances of first-time methamphetamine use among gay and bisexual men and transgender women who are part of the RADAR project, the largest longitudinal study of this community.