Methamphetamine use, transmission risk behavior and internet use among HIV-infected patients in medical care, San Francisco, 2008

Abstract

Methamphetamine use is associated with adverse health outcomes and HIV incidence. Few studies have assessed methamphetamine use, sexual behavior and Internet use among HIV-infected patients. Surveys were administered to a sample of HIV-infected patients seeking medical care in a San Francisco county hospital and university-based clinic. In 2008, 35% of homosexual participants, 26% of heterosexual participants and 11% of female participants reported methamphetamine use in the past year. Of participants, 29% reported using the Internet to find sex partners; Internet-users versus non-Internet-users reported a higher median number of sex partners in 6 months (4 vs. 1), were more likely to report unprotected sex (32 vs. 10%), and higher rates of methamphetamine use in the past 12 months (48 vs. 24%). Given the association among methamphetamine use, increased sex partners and Internet use, the Internet may present a new and effective medium for interventions to reduce methamphetamine-associated sexual risk behavior.

Fig. 1

Characteristics of methamphetamine use. a Characteristics of reported methamphetamine use by gender/sexual orientation subgroups (use in 12 months χ² = 17.52, P < 0.01, use in 4 weeks χ² = 12.43, P = 0.05). b Reported methamphetamine use is common throughout all race/ethnicity groups; across all participants except TG, reported methamphetamine use is more common among whites (all P < 0.05) but there is no statistically significant difference between race/ethnicity groups within in any gender/orientation group. c Reported methamphetamine use by age category and income level, 2008. Reported methamphetamine use is less common among older participants (χ² = 18.64, P < 0.001), though this difference is not significant among participants earning more than $2,000/month. Reported methamphetamine use is more common among participants who earned less than $2,000/month (χ² = 27.16, P < 0.001), though this difference is not significant among participants younger than 30 years old or older than 55 years old

Fig. 2

a Reported methamphetamine use in the past 12 months and reporting of unprotected sex sometimes, often or always in the past 6 months, by gender/orientation group. Reported methamphetamine use is significantly associated with increased reporting of unprotected sex among MSM (χ² = 21.00, P < 0.001) and heterosexual men (χ² = 3.83, P = 0.05). Significance was not found among women and transgender participants, though sample sizes were small (8 women and 5 transgender participants who reported methamphetamine use in the past 12 months answered the question about unprotected sex). b Reported methamphetamine use in the past 12 months and Internet use to find sex partners in the past 6 months, by age category. Reported Internet use to find sex partners is more common among participants who reported methamphetamine use in the past 12 months (χ² = 35.53, P < 0.001), though this difference remains significant only among participants between the ages of 30 and 55, and among MSM. Reporting using the Internet to find sex partners is more common among younger participants (χ² = 28.83, P < 0.001), though this difference is not significant among those reporting methamphetamine use