Abstract
Objective:to investigate the factors associated with the practice of sex under the influence of drugs (chemsex) among Portuguese men who have sex with men during the period of social distancing to prevent the COVID-19.Method:online survey applied in May 2020 to a sample of 1,301 participants living in Portugal, recruited according to Respondent Driven Sampling and via social media Facebook®. Descriptive and bivariate analyses were performed along with logistic regression to calculate adjusted Odds Ratio (ORa).Results:the prevalence of chemsex was 20.2%. The likelihood of practicing chemsex increased with group sex (ORa: 28.4, 95%CI 16.93–47.49); unprotected sex (ORa: 7.1 95%CI 4.57–10.99); the use of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to prevent COVID-19 (ORa: 4.2, 95%CI 2.71–6.39) and COVID-19 testing (ORa: 1.9, 95%CI 1.15–3.10).Conclusion:the practice of chemsex among men who have sex with men during the COVID-19 pandemic in Portugal was very frequent and may support greater understanding of the role and impact of sexual behavior on the COVID-19 transmission rates and the current pandemic situation in Portugal.
Highlights
Cases of respiratory infection of unknown origin were first reported in December 2019 in Wuhan, capital of the Hubei province, China and was later named COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease)(1)
Chemsex was reported by 20.2% (n=263) of the participants; all of whom (n=263) reported casual sex, and slightly less than half (44.9%; n=118) did not used condoms during sexual intercourse
The occurrence of chemsex among men who have sex with men (MSM) during the COVID-19 pandemic in Portugal was very high, showing an increase in its prevalence. It indicates that the worldwide health calamity did not sensitize Portuguese MSM to adhere to restrictive and social distancing measures
Summary
Cases of respiratory infection of unknown origin were first reported in December 2019 in Wuhan, capital of the Hubei province, China and was later named COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease)(1). Mitigation measures were rigidly and effectively implemented, as was the case of Portugal[5,6]. This European country acted early against the SARS-CoV-2 threat. The first cases of COVID-19 were recorded on March 2nd, 2020 and 15 days later, the borders with Spain, a country facing one of the worst situations of the pandemic at the time, were closed and the faceto-face teaching was suspended in schools. Until the end of August, Portugal recorded 58,243 confirmed cases and 1,824 deaths caused by the COVID-19; the incidence rate was 573.5 per 100,000 inhabitants[8], which was pointed out as a case of relative success in comparison to the European Union and at a worldwide level
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