scholarly journals Risk behaviour among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander gay men: comparisons with other gay men in Australia

Sexual Health ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 163 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chris G. Lawrence ◽  
Patrick Rawstorne ◽  
Peter Hull ◽  
Andrew E. Grulich ◽  
Scott Cameron ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Drug Use ◽  
Gay Men ◽  
Torres Strait Islander ◽  
Illicit Drugs ◽  
Risk Behaviour ◽  
Anal Intercourse ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Gay Community ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Torres Strait

Objectives: To determine any differences in HIV-risk and drug-use behaviour among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander gay men and other gay men in Australia. Methods: The Gay Community Periodic Survey is a repeated cross-sectional prevalence study of the sexual and drug use behaviours of Australian gay men conducted since 1996. Responses from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) gay men were compared with those from non-ATSI gay men for the years 2000–2004. Results: Of 34 708 responses collected in major Australian cities over a 6-year period, 1208 identified as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander. There was little difference between ATSI and non-ATSI men in the reported prevalence of HIV, though ATSI gay men were more likely than non-ATSI gay men to engage in unprotected anal intercourse with casual partners and to inject illicit drugs but were more likely to have been recently tested for HIV. Conclusions: These ATSI gay men were at increased risk of HIV and other blood-borne viruses, though this may be due to differences in socio-economic status as much as cultural background. These findings indicate the continued need for targeted sexual and injecting-drug-use health interventions among this population.

27. CAN UNPROTECTED ANAL INTERCOURSE WITH REGULAR AND CASUAL PARTNERS EXPLAIN THE DIVERGING TRENDS IN HIV EPIDEMIC IN AUSTRALIA?

Sexual Health ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 295
Author(s):  
I. Zablotska ◽  
G. Prestage ◽  
A. Grulich ◽  
J. Imrie ◽  
S. Kippax
Keyword(s):  
Gay Men ◽  
Anal Intercourse ◽  
Unprotected Anal Intercourse ◽  
Unprotected Sex ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Gay Community ◽  
Hiv Epidemic ◽  
Hiv Serostatus ◽  
Policies And Programs ◽  
Self Administered Questionnaire

Introduction: Worldwide, increases in unprotected anal intercourse have been linked to the resurgence in HIV and STI in gay men. We assessed whether changes in UAI within regular and casual relationships may explain the diverging trends in HIV in three Australian states - NSW, Victoria and Queensland. Methods: We used the data from the annual cross-sectional Gay Community Periodic Surveys conducted annually in Sydney since 1996 and in Melbourne and Queensland since 1998. A short self-administered questionnaire asks about HIV serostatus, sexual health testing and behaviours relevant to HIV epidemic. We present time trends in seroconcordance and unprotected sex with regular and casual partners. Results: Currently, about one third of gay men report being in monogamous regular relationships, and this proportion has been slowly increasing everywhere. The self-reported UAI with regular partners (UAIR) was highest among men in seroconcordant positive relationships, lower among seroconcordant negative partners and lowest in non seroconcordant relationships. From 1998 to 2006, the rates of UAIR consistently increased by 10% in all three states and in all relationships by serostatus. The rates of UAI with casual partners (UAIC) were historically highest in NSW. From a peak in 2001, UAIC rates have consistently declined in NSW, but continuing increases were observed in Victoria and Queensland. Higher rates of nondisclosure of HIV were also observed in the context of UAIC in the latter two states. Conclusion: Changes in unprotected sex with casual partners may be responsible for the slowing of HIV epidemic in NSW. Sustained investment in policies and programs are important in achieving behaviour change.

Behavioural surveillance among gay men in Australia: methods, findings and policy implications for the prevention of HIV and other sexually transmissible infections

Sexual Health ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 272 ◽  
Author(s):  
Iryna B. Zablotska ◽  
Susan Kippax ◽  
Andrew Grulich ◽  
Martin Holt ◽  
Garrett Prestage
Keyword(s):  
Gay Men ◽  
Warning System ◽  
Anal Intercourse ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Sti Prevention ◽  
Gay Community ◽  
Behavioural Surveillance ◽  
Sexually Transmissible Infections ◽  
Over Time

Background The Australian HIV and sexually transmissible infection (STI) behavioural surveillance system (the repeated cross-sectional Gay Community Periodic Surveys, GCPS) has been conducted since 1998 and covers six main Australian jurisdictions. In this paper, we review its history and methodology, and the available indicators, their trends and their use. Methods:We describe the design and history of GCPS. For analyses of indicators, we use Pearson’s χ2-test and test for trend where appropriate. Results: About 90% of gay men in Australia have been tested for HIV (60% to 70% of men who were not HIV-positive) have been tested as recommended in the preceding 12 months. STI testing levels (~70% in the preceding 12 months) are high, but remain insufficient for STI prevention. In general, unprotected anal intercourse with regular (UAIR) and casual (UAIC) sex partners has increased over time. The prevalence and increasing trends in UAIR were similar across jurisdictions (P-trend <0.01), while trends in UAIC differed across the states: during 2001–08, UAIC declined in NSW (P-trend <0.01) and increased elsewhere (P-trend <0.01). Trends in UAIC were associated with HIV diagnoses. Conclusion: This review of the design, implementation and findings of the Australian HIV/STI behavioural surveillance highlights important lessons for HIV/STI behavioural surveillance among homosexual men, particularly the need for consistent data collection over time and across jurisdictions. Investment in systematic behavioural surveillance appears to result in a better understanding of the HIV epidemic, the availability of a warning system and a better targeted HIV prevention strategy.

The role of drugs during group sex among gay men in Australia

Sexual Health ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 310 ◽  
Author(s):  
Garrett Prestage ◽  
Jeffrey Grierson ◽  
Jack Bradley ◽  
Michael Hurley ◽  
Jeff Hudson
Keyword(s):  
Drug Use ◽  
Confidence Interval ◽  
Sexual Risk ◽  
Gay Men ◽  
Odds Ratio ◽  
Sexual Experience ◽  
Risk Behaviour ◽  
Sexual Risk Behaviour ◽  
Gay Community ◽  
Group Sex

Background: Drug use has been associated with risk behaviour among gay men. We examined the use of drugs and sexual risk behaviour among homosexually-active men who engaged in group sex in Australia. Methods: We used an anonymous, self-complete survey about participants’ most recent occasion of group sex with other men and in-depth interviews with a small number of these survey participants. The 746 men who reported having engaged in group sex within the previous 6 months were included in these analyses. Results: Among 746 men who engaged in group sex within the previous 6 months, 63.0% reported using illicit drugs at the group sex encounter. Men commonly reported using drugs specifically to enhance their sexual experience and to intensify the pleasure of that experience. After controlling for each drug type and other risk factors, only use of methamphetamine (odds ratio = 1.74, confidence interval = 1.06–2.88, P = 0.030) and having more than five drinks (odds ratio = 2.41, confidence interval = 1.34–4.33, P = 0.003) were independently associated with unprotected anal intercourse with non-HIV seroconcordant partners in multivariate analysis. Conclusion: Methamphetamine and heavy alcohol use are associated with increased sexual risk behaviour among men who engage in group sex. Within more ‘adventurous’ gay community subcultures, drug use is often for the explicit purpose of enhancing the sexual experience and this complex relationship may be key to understanding HIV risk among these men.

scholarly journals Use of illicit drugs by adolescents and young adults of an urban settlement in Brazil

2018 ◽  
Vol 64 (2) ◽  
pp. 114-118
Author(s):  
Rafael Alves Guimarães ◽  
Márcia Maria de Souza ◽  
Karlla Antonieta Amorim Caetano ◽  
Sheila Araujo Teles ◽  
Marcos André de Matos
Keyword(s):  
Young Adults ◽  
Drug Use ◽  
Illicit Drugs ◽  
Illicit Drug ◽  
Illicit Drug Use ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Adolescents And Young Adults ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Urban Settlement ◽  
Factors Associated

Summary Objective: To estimate the prevalence and factors associated with illicit drug use by adolescents and young adults of a formal urban settlement. Method: Cross-sectional study including adolescents and young adults 12-24 years of an urban settlement in the Midwest Region of Brazil. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and analyzed using Stata, version 12.0. We used Poisson regression model to estimate the factors associated with illicit drug use. Results: Of the total participants (n=105), 27.6% (95CI 20.0-36.9%) had used illicit drugs such as marijuana, cocaine, crack, LSD and inhalants. The consumption of these substances was associated with male gender, use of body piercing and/or tattoos, licit drug use and self-report of signs and/or symptoms of sexually transmitted infections. Conclusion: High prevalence of illicit drug use was found in the individuals investigated, ratifying the presence of risk factors to the vulnerability of the settlers to use these substances in the urban settlement population.

scholarly journals Developing anti-tobacco messages for Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples: evidence from a national cross-sectional survey

2014 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gillian S Gould ◽  
Kerrianne Watt ◽  
Leah Stevenson ◽  
Andy McEwen ◽  
Yvonne Cadet-James ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Torres Strait Islander ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Australian Aboriginal ◽  
Torres Strait

scholarly journals Low levels of chemsex among men who have sex with men, but high levels of risk among men who engage in chemsex: analysis of a cross-sectional online survey across four countries

Sexual Health ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 144 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jamie Frankis ◽  
Paul Flowers ◽  
Lisa McDaid ◽  
Adam Bourne
Keyword(s):  
Northern Ireland ◽  
Drug Use ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Illicit Drugs ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Republic Of Ireland ◽  
Hiv Test ◽  
The Republic ◽  
Sex With Men ◽  
First Time

Background This paper establishes the prevalence of chemsex drug use among men who have sex with men (MSM), the extent to which these drugs are used in a sexual context, as well as their associated behaviours and circumstances of use. Methods: Data from a cross-sectional, online survey of 2328 MSM recruited via gay sociosexual media in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland were analysed. Results: While almost half (48.8%) of participants had ever taken illicit drugs, lifetime chemsex drug use was less common (18.0%) and far fewer reported chemsex drug use in the last year (8.2%) or last 4 weeks (3.0%). Just over one-quarter (27.1%) of men who used chemsex drugs in the last year reported no sexualised drug use, but almost three-quarters (72.9%) did. Only 6.1% of the whole sample reported sexualised chemsex drug use in the last year. The odds of reporting chemsex in the last year were significantly higher for men aged 36–45 years (AOR = 1.96), single men (AOR = 1.83), men who were HIV positive (AOR = 4.01), men who report high-risk sex (AOR = 4.46), being fisted (AOR = 7.77) or had sex in exchange for goods other than money (AOR = 4.7) in the last year and men who reported an HIV test in the last 3 months (AOR = 1.53). Discussion: Only a small proportion of MSM in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland reported chemsex, and, for the first time, it is demonstrated that not all chemsex drug use was sexualised. Nevertheless, MSM who engage in chemsex (MWEC) reported substantial sexual risk inequalities. These novel findings highlight several opportunities for intervention, particularly around the multiple vulnerabilities of MWEC, opportunities for early identification of those most vulnerable to chemsex-related harm and the potential to develop a specialised responsive patient pathway.

Party and Play

Out in Time ◽  
2019 ◽  
pp. 147-164
Author(s):  
Perry N. Halkitis
Keyword(s):  
Drug Use ◽  
Gay Men ◽  
Sexually Transmitted ◽  
Alcohol And Drug Use ◽  
Gay Community ◽  
Self Worth ◽  
Mental Health Difficulties ◽  
American Society ◽  
Alcohol And Other Drugs ◽  
Physical Challenges

Substance use, often in combination with sex, referred to as “party and play (PNP),” defines lives of gay men across generations and across all stages of life. Alcohol and drug use among gay men is precipitated by psychosocial burdens such as loneliness and diminished self-worth, the mental health difficulties experienced within the population, and the physical challenges associated with sex itself. The reliance on drug use is catalyzed by the homophobia of American society, but is also normalized within the community itself. The use of alcohol and other drugs also is intimately linked to the expectations of masculinity within the gay population, the drive for physical and sexual perfection, and the racism and discrimination experienced by gay men both within and outside the gay community. Ultimately, drugs serve as facilitators for the fantastical sex sought by many gay men and thus use of noninjection drugs that are hypersexualizing, such as methamphetamine and inhalant nitrates, has been implicated in the ongoing presence of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in the gay population.

scholarly journals How far can you go? Association between illicit drug use and academic migration

2019 ◽  
Vol 68 (1) ◽  
pp. 8-15
Author(s):  
Lauro Miranda Demenech ◽  
Samuel C. Dumith ◽  
Luiza Santos Ferreira ◽  
Mariana Lima Corrêa ◽  
Pedro San Martin Soares ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Drug Use ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Illicit Drugs ◽  
Illicit Drug ◽  
Illicit Drug Use ◽  
Religious Practice ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Study Data ◽  
Systematic Sampling ◽  
Cross Sectional

ABSTRACT Objective: To measure the prevalence of illicit drugs use in the lifetime, last year and last month, as well as the factors associated to the last year's use and its association with academic migration, among undergraduate students of a university in southern Brazil. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, data were collected through self-administered questionnaire. It was conducted a clustered systematic sampling. For multivariate analyses, it was used Poisson regression. Results: 1,423 students participated. The prevalence of illicit drug use in the lifetime, last year and last month were 42.4%, 25.5% and 17.7%, respectively. Regarding illicit substances, marijuana use was the most prevalent. The variables independently associated with illicit drugs use in the last year were academic migration, being male, younger, single, high parent's educational level, living with peers, tobacco use in the last year, and having friend and relative that have used illicit drugs. Religious practice had a protective effect. Conclusion: Individuals who migrated from their cities to study at the university are more exposed to the main risk factors pointed out by this research and hence to the use of illicit drugs. Based on these results, we suggest that universities develop evaluation, prevention, treatment or referral strategies considering specific needs of this population

scholarly journals Eating disorders amongst Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians: a scoping review

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam Burt ◽  
Deborah Mitchison ◽  
Kerrie Doyle ◽  
Phillipa Hay
Keyword(s):  
Eating Disorders ◽  
Mental Disorders ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
Diagnostic Tool ◽  
Torres Strait Islander ◽  
Screening Tools ◽  
Cochrane Library ◽  
Indigenous Australians ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Torres Strait

Abstract Background Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians (Indigenous Australians) have poorer mental health compared to other Australians. Yet, there is a lack of research into mental disorders among this population, especially for eating disorders (ED), which are amongst the most lethal and debilitating mental disorders. Aim We aimed to answer 2 questions: 1. What is the volume and content of literature on ED among Indigenous Australians? 2. Has a screening or diagnostic tool/instrument been developed for the assessment of ED amongst Indigenous Australians? Method We conducted a scoping review of electronic databases (Pubmeb, Embase, PsychInfo, Proquest, Cochrane Library, Indigenous HealtInfoNet and Scopus), for studies addressing ED, body image, muscle dysmorphia, weight and shape concern among Indigenous Australians, as well as diagnostic and screening tools. All relevant studies were reviewed in full by 2 researchers. Narrative synthesis of the data was performed. Results There is limited evidence for ED among Indigenous Australians, however, the evidence available strongly suggests that ED are more common among Indigenous Australians compared to other Australians. Eating disorders among Indigenous Australians are also associated with high levels of overvaluation of weight and shape. The increased risk of ED among Indigenous Australians was largely explained by factors such as poorer psychosocial wellbeing. No evidence was found for the existence of validated diagnostic or screening tools for ED in Indigenous Australians. Conclusion The evidence suggests ED are common among Indigenous Australians, and there are no diagnostic or screening tools available to assist clinicians in assessing them. More research is required in this field, especially towards the development of a validated and culturally specific screening or diagnostic tool for ED among Indigenous Australians.

Recent developments in suicide prevention among the Indigenous peoples of Australia

2018 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 166-169 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pat Dudgeon ◽  
Christopher Holland
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
At Risk ◽  
Suicide Prevention ◽  
Indigenous Peoples ◽  
Torres Strait Islander ◽  
Success Factors ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
Torres Strait

Objectives: Suicide is an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (hereafter ‘Indigenous’) population health issue. Over 2015–2016, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Suicide Prevention Project (ATSISPEP) aimed to identify success factors in Indigenous suicide prevention. Conclusions: For non-Indigenous practitioners working with indigenous clients at risk of suicide, ATSISPEP identified important considerations to make treatment more effective. The start is acknowledging the differences in the historical, cultural, political, social and economic experiences of Indigenous peoples, and their greater exposure to trauma, psychological distress and risks to mental health. These mental health difficulties are specific and more prevalent amongst Indigenous peoples and communities due to the ongoing impacts of colonisation in Australia including a range of social determinants impacting on the well-being of Indigenous peoples today. Working effectively with Indigenous clients also includes being able to establish culturally safe work environments, and the ability of non-Indigenous practitioners to work in a culturally competent and trauma-informed manner. There are also considerations regarding time protocols and client follow-up. Further, postvention responses might be required. Supporting selective suicide prevention activity among younger people (and other groups at increased risk) and community-level work is an important complement to working with Indigenous individuals at risk of suicide.

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