Abstract
Chemsex is a growing public health concern, with little evidence-based care and support available. The aim of this study is to understand current risk reduction practices, and the information and care needs of gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM) who engage in chemsex. Between January and March 2020, semi structured in-depth interviews with drug-using GBMSM (n = 20) were conducted. Data were analyzed thematically. The reported preparatory measures were: deliberately scheduling chemsex sessions, and discussing preferences regarding setting and attendees. During the event, a logbook is kept to monitor drugs taken by each participant. People try to take care of each other, but this is often counteracted. Respondents highlighted needs: reliable and easily-accessible information, anonymous medical and psychological healthcare, chemsex-specific care, and a value-neutral safe space to talk about chemsex experiences. Results imply two types of users: planned and impulsive users. Adherence to intended harm reduction practices are complicated by drug effects, peer pressure, and feelings of distrust among users.
Highlights
In recent years, chemsex has emerged as a public health concern among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM) [1,2]
This study describes the first step of the project, where we describe the experiences and needs of the local GBMSM community engaging in chemsex
We want to stress that the results obtained from this qualitative study are not intended to explain the experiences and needs of all GBMSM participating in chemsex
Summary
Chemsex has emerged as a public health concern among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM) [1,2]. The term refers to the use of drugs in a sexual context [3,4], and is limited to the GBMSM community and the distinct set of cultural factors that are specific to gay sex [5]. These factors include society’s lack of acceptance, the impact of the HIV epidemic, internalized homophobia, coming-out issues, experiences of discrimination and violence, and normalization of drug use in the gay community [4]. A study on chemsex in Brussels (n = 362) shows that cocaine, ecstasy, and ketamine are commonly used in this context [8] This finding was confirmed during the interviews, as respondents described the use of drugs such as ecstasy, cocaine, ketamine, and new psychoactive
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