Methamphetamine use in chemsex and its consequences on mental health: a descriptive study
e202108108
Keywords:
Chemsex, Methamphetamine, Substance use, Men who have sex with men, HIVAbstract
Background: Chemsex is a term applicable to the use of drugs related to sex among men who have sex with men (MSM). Because it is a recent trend, there is little information about its management and consequences. The aim of the study was to describe the clinical profile of a sample of chemsex users who consulted for treatment.
Methods: This is a longitudinal and retrospective study of 53 patients who consulted for chemsex in an addiction unit of a general hospital in Barcelona, from January 2017 to June 2019. Data was collected from electronic medical records and a descriptive analysis was performed by calculating proportions and means.
Results: The most common drug used in chemsex was methamphetamine (81.1%; n=43) and 67.4% (n=29) of these used at least other two drugs. The prevalence of HIV infection was high (71.2%; n=37) and 72.1% (n=41) had psychiatric comorbidity, being the most common psychosis
(37.2%; n=16).
Conclusions: Methamphetamine was the most common drug chemsex user’s seeked for treatment. Furthermore, there is a high prevalence of HIV diagnosis in this population. Both conditions can enhance the risk of suffering from psychosis and may explain why psychiatric comorbidity is so high in the sample.
Downloads
References
Bourne A, Reid D, Hickson F, Torres-Rueda S, Weatherburn P. Executive Summary - The Chemsex study: drug use in sexual settings among gay and bisexual men in LSL. Sigma Res London. 2014 Mar 31.
McCall H, Adams N, Mason D, Willis J. What is chemsex and why does it matter? BMJ. 2015 Nov 3;351:h5790.
Stuart D. Sexualised drug use by MSM: Background, current status and response. HIV Nurs. 2013 Mar 1;13:1–5.
Documento técnico sobre abordaje del fenómeno del chemsex. Secretaría del Plan Nacional sobre elSida. Ministerio de Sanidad. 2020.
Fernández Dávila P. “Sesión de sexo, morbo y vicio”: una aproximación holística para entender la aparición del fenómeno ChemSex entre hombres gais, bisexuales y otros hombres que tienen sexo con hombres en España. Rev Multidiscip del Sida. 2016 Apr 7;4:41–65.
Rosińska M, Gios L, Nöstlinger C, Vanden Berghe W, Marcus U, Schink S et al. Prevalence of drug use during sex amongst MSM in Europe: Results from a multi-site bio-behavioural survey. Int J Drug Policy. 2018 May 1;55:231–41.
Folch C, Fernández-Dávila P, Ferrer L, Soriano R, Díez M, Casabona J. High prevalence of drug consumption and sexual risk behaviors in men who have sex with men. Med Clínica. 2015 Aug 7;145(3):102–107.
Encuesta europea on-line para hombres que tienen sexo con hombres (EMIS-2017): resultados en España. Ministerio de Sanidad, 2020.
The EMIS Network. EMIS-2017 – The European Men-Who-Have-Sex-With-Men Internet Survey. Key findings from 50 countries. Stockholm: European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control; 2019.
Dolengevich-Segal H, Rodríguez-Salgado B, Ballesteros-López J, Molina-Prado R. Chemsex. Un fenómeno emergente. Vol. 29, Adicciones. Edita Socidrogalcohol; 2017. p. 207–209.
Ballesteros-López J, Molina-Prado R, Rodríguez-Salgado B, Luis Martin-Herrero J, Dolengevich-Segal H. Mephedrone and chemsex. A descriptive analysis of a sample of patients in Madrid. Rev Esp Drogodepend. Oct-Dec 2016; 41(4):47-61.
Schreck B, Victorri-Vigneau C, Guerlais M, Laforgue E, Grall-Bronnec M. Slam Practice: A Review of the Literature. Eur Addict Res. 2020 Dec 4; 1–18.
Trouiller P, Velter A, Saboni L, Sommen C, Sauvage C, Vaux S et al. Injecting drug use during sex (known as “slamming”) among men who have sex with men: Results from a time-location sampling survey conducted in five cities, France. Int J Drug Policy. 2020 May 1;79:102703.
Pakianathan M, Whittaker W, Lee MJ, Avery J, Green S, Nathan B et al. Chemsex and new HIV diagnosis in gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men attending sexual health clinics. HIV Med. 2018;19:485-490.
Darke S, Kaye S, McKetin R, Duflou J. Major physical and psychological harms of methamphetamine use. Drug Alcohol Rev. 2008 May 1;27(3):253–262.
Giorgetti R, Tagliabracci A, Schifano F, Zaami S, Marinelli E, Busardò FP. When “Chems” Meet Sex: A Rising Phenomenon Called “ChemSex.” Curr Neuropharmacol. 2017 Jun 16;15(5):762.
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 Jan 1;63:74–89.
Pufall E, Kall M, Shahmanesh M, Nardone A, Gilson R, Delpech V et al. Sexualized drug use (‘chemsex’) and high-risk sexual behaviours in HIV-positive men who have sex with men. HIV Med. 2018 Apr 1;19(4):261–270.
Elliot E, Singh S, Tyebally S, Gedela K, Nelson M. Recreational drug use and chemsex among HIV-infected in-patients: a unique screening opportunity. HIV Med. 2017 Aug 1;18(7):525–531.
Bracchi M, Stuart D, Castles R, Khoo S, Back D, Boffito M. Increasing use of ‘party drugs’ in people living with HIV on antiretrovirals. AIDS. 2015 Aug 24;29(13):1585–1592.
Grant KM, LeVan TD, Wells SM, Li M, Stoltenberg SF, Gendelman HE et al. Methamphetamine-associated psychosis. J Neuroimmune Pharmacol. 2012 Mar; 7(1):113–139.
Setién-Suero E, Suárez-Pinilla P, Ferro A, Tabarés-Seisdedos R, Crespo-Facorro B, Ayesa-Arriola R. Childhood trauma and substance use underlying psychosis: a systematic review. Eur J Psychotraumatol. 2020; 11(1):1748342.
McKetin R, Baker AL, Dawe S, Voce A, Lubman DI. Differences in the symptom profile of methamphetamine-related psychosis and primary psychotic disorders. Psychiatry Res. 2017 May 1;251:349–354.
American Psychiatric Association: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Fifth Edition. Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Association, 2013.
Panel on Antiretroviral Guidelines for Adults and Adolescents. Guidelines for the Use of Antiretroviral Agents in Adults and Adolescents with HIV. Department of Health and Human Services. Available at https://clinicalinfo.hiv.gov/sites/default/files/inline-files/AdultandAdolescentGL.pdf. Accessed (26/10/2020).
Kamal RM, Dijkstra BAG, de Weert-van Oene GH, van Duren JAM, de Jong CAJ. Psychiatric comorbidity, psychological distress, and quality of life in gamma-hydroxybutyrate-dependent patients. J Addict Dis. 2017 Jan 2;36(1):72–79.
Marshall BDL, Werb D. Health outcomes associated with methamphetamine use among young people: A systematic review. Addiction. 2010 Jun 1;105(6):991–1002.
McKetin R, Leung J, Stockings E, Huo Y, Foulds J, Lappin JM et al. Mental health outcomes associated with of the use of amphetamines: A systematic review and meta-analysis. EClinicalMedicine. 2019 Nov 1;16:81–97.
Degenhardt L, Coffey C, Carlin JB, Moran P, Patton GC. Who are the new amphetamine users? A 10-year prospective study of young Australians. Addiction. 2007 Aug 1;102(8):1269–1279.
Degenhardt L, Coffey C, Moran P, Carlin JB, Patton GC. The predictors and consequences of adolescent amphetamine use: findings from the Victoria Adolescent Health Cohort Study. Addiction. 2007 Jul 1;102(7):1076–1084.
Brière FN, Fallu JS, Janosz M, Pagani LS. Prospective associations between meth/amphetamine (speed) and MDMA (ecstasy) use and depressive symptoms in secondary school students. J Epidemiol Community Health. 2012 Nov 1;66(11):990–994.
Kalichman SC, Gore-Felton C, Benotsch E, Cage M, Rompa D. Trauma symptoms, sexual behaviors, and substance abuse: Correlates of childhood sexual abuse and HIV risks among men who have sex with men. J Child Sex Abus. 2004;13(1):1–15.
Mimiaga MJ, Noonan E, Donnell D, Safren SA, Koenen KC, Gortmaker S et al. Childhood sexual abuse is highly associated with HIV risk-taking behavior and infection among MSM in the EXPLORE study. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. 2009 Jul;51(3):340–348.
Lopez-Patton M, Kumar M, Jones D, Fonseca M, Kumar AM, Nemeroff CB. Childhood trauma and METH abuse among men who have sex with men: Implications for intervention. J Psychiatr Res. 2016 Jan 1;72:1–5.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
Categories
License
Copyright (c) 2021 Patricia Gavín, Néstor Arbelo, Miquel Monràs, Laura Nuño, Pol Bruguera, Lorena de la Mora, María Martínez-Rebollar, Montserrat Laguno, Jordi Blanch, Laia Miquel
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Usted es libre de:
Compartir — copiar y redistribuir el material en cualquier medio o formato.
La licenciante no puede revocar estas libertades en tanto usted siga los términos de la licencia.
Bajo los siguientes términos:
Atribución — Usted debe dar crédito de manera adecuada , brindar un enlace a la licencia, e indicar si se han realizado cambios. Puede hacerlo en cualquier forma razonable, pero no de forma tal que sugiera que usted o su uso tienen el apoyo de la licenciante.
NoComercial — Usted no puede hacer uso del material con propósitos comerciales.
SinDerivadas — Si remezcla, transforma o crea a partir del material, no podrá distribuir el material modificado.
No hay restricciones adicionales — No puede aplicar términos legales ni medidas tecnológicas que restrinjan legalmente a otras a hacer cualquier uso permitido por la licencia.
Avisos:
No tiene que cumplir con la licencia para elementos del material en el dominio público o cuando su uso esté permitido por una excepción o limitación aplicable.
No se dan garantías. La licencia podría no darle todos los permisos que necesita para el uso que tenga previsto. Por ejemplo, otros derechos como publicidad, privacidad, o derechos morales pueden limitar la forma en que utilice el material.
