Crystal Methamphetamine Use and HIV Transmission Among Gay and Bisexual Men

Abstract

In the United States, methamphetamine continues to be a substance that is used and abused by gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (MSM). Although there is no evidence that suggests a causal pathway between use of the drug and HIV seroconversion, the two are highly associated. Moreover, numerous studies indicate use and abuse of methamphetamine among gay and bisexual men even after seroconversion. Effective interventions for treating the addiction must fully address the ‘meth-sex’ link. While strides have been made during the last decade in addressing methamphetamine addiction, the problem perpetuates within the population. It is proposed that future efforts must consider methamphetamine addiction more holistically within the larger framework of the totality of health disparities faced by sexual minority men, which includes, but is not limited to, HIV, and which understands and seeks to address the social and psychosocial stressors experienced by these men, which makes them vulnerable to the addiction.