Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2023 Feb 3;20(3):2751.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph20032751.

Understanding Sexualized Drug Use: Substances, Reasons, Consequences, and Self-Perceptions among Men Who Have Sex with Other Men in Spain

Daniel Íncera-Fernández  1 , Francisco J Román  1 , Santiago Moreno-Guillén  2 , Manuel Gámez-Guadix  1
Affiliations

Understanding Sexualized Drug Use: Substances, Reasons, Consequences, and Self-Perceptions among Men Who Have Sex with Other Men in Spain

Daniel Íncera-Fernández et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

Sexualized drug use (SDU) has been identified as a health risk factor among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM). This study aimed to analyze the associations between SDU frequency and a broad set of substances, motives, consequences, and self-perceptions. Sampling was conducted through an online survey. The final sample consisted of 185 GBMSM aged between 18 and 78 years old (mean age = 38.38, SD = 11.52) who engaged in SDU. We analyzed the frequency of SDU in terms of practicing it "once," "moderately" ("once a month or less" or "a few times a month"), or "frequently" (from "once a week" to "daily") during the previous 18 months. A questionnaire was administered through which sociodemographic variables, substances, reasons, consequences, and self-perceptions of SDU practice were analyzed. Participants who did so frequently were significantly more likely to use mephedrone, methamphetamine, and GHB/GBL than those who performed SDU less often (large effect sizes). In addition, habitual SDU was associated with motivations to achieve pleasurable emotions and sensations and manage negative feelings. Health implications, such as blackout moments, were also significantly related to frequent SDUs. Finally, those who practiced frequent SDU perceived it as a severe problem and wanted to control it. These data indicate the importance of raising awareness of chemsex as a public health problem among GBMSM. Specific identification, education, and prevention programs need to be strengthened to reduce the incidence of the most undesirable implications of SDU among GBMSM.

Keywords: chemsex; men who have sex with men; motives; public health; sexual minorities; sexualized drug use.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript, or in the decision to publish the results.

References

    1. Lafortune D., Blais M., Miller G., Dion L., Lalonde F., Dargis L. Psychological and Interpersonal Factors Associated with Sexualized Drug Use Among Men Who Have Sex with Men: A Mixed-Methods Systematic Review. Arch. Sex. Behav. 2021;50:427–460. doi: 10.1007/s10508-020-01741-8. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Maxwell S., Shahmanesh M., Gafos M. Chemsex Behaviours among Men Who Have Sex with Men: A Systematic Review of the Literature. Int. J. Drug Policy. 2019;63:74–89. doi: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2018.11.014. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Stuart D. Sexualised Drug Use by MSM: Background, Current Status and Response. HIV Nurse. 2013;13:1–5.
    1. Bourne A., Reid D., Hickson F., Torres-Rueda S., Steinberg P., Weatherburn P. “Chemsex” and Harm Reduction Need among Gay Men in South London. Int. J. Drug Policy. 2015;26:1171–1176. doi: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2015.07.013. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Drysdale K., Bryant J., Hopwood M., Dowsett G.W., Holt M., Lea T., Aggleton P., Treloar C. Destabilising the “problem” of Chemsex: Diversity in Settings, Relations and Practices Revealed in Australian Gay and Bisexual Men’s Crystal Methamphetamine Use. Int. J. Drug Policy. 2020;78:102697. doi: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2020.102697. - DOI - PubMed

Publication types