The development of an online intervention to reduce HIV/STI risk and drug use-related harms among stimulant-using men who have sex with men (MSM) in Malaysia

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jia Ying Yap ◽  
Sin How Lim ◽  
Anne Yee
Keyword(s):  
Drug Use ◽  
Online Intervention ◽  
Sex With Men

scholarly journals High levels of used syringe use and unsafe sex among people who inject drugs in Kumasi, Ghana: an urgent call for a comprehensive harm reduction approach

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa J. Messersmith ◽  
Rose Adjei ◽  
Jennifer Beard ◽  
Angela R. Bazzi ◽  
Joel J. Earlywine ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Drug Use ◽  
Harm Reduction ◽  
Population Size ◽  
Sex Workers ◽  
People Who Inject Drugs ◽  
Syringe Sharing ◽  
Unsafe Sex ◽  
Lack Of Information ◽  
Sex With Men ◽  
Major Drug

Abstract Background Drug use is a growing concern in Ghana. People who inject drugs (PWID) are highly vulnerable to HIV and other infectious diseases. Ghana’s National Strategic Plan for HIV/AIDS 2016–2020 identifies PWID as a key population, but efforts to address the needs of PWID have lagged behind those targeting sex workers and men who have sex with men. Lack of information about PWID is a critical barrier to implementing effective HIV prevention and treatment. We aimed to learn more about the vulnerability of the PWID population in order to inform much-needed harm reduction interventions. Methods From April to July 2018, we conducted a mixed methods study in Kumasi, Ghana, to identify all major drug using locations, count the numbers of PWID to obtain rough population size estimations, and administer anonymous surveys to 221 PWID regarding drug use and sexual behavior. We also tested for HIV, HCV, and HBV from syringes used by survey participants. Results Key informants identified five major drug using locations and estimated the total PWID population size to be between 600 and 2000. Enumerators counted between 35 and 61 individuals present at each of the five bases. Sharing syringes and reusing discarded syringes are common practices. Over half of survey participants (59%) reported past-month syringe sharing (34% used a used syringe and 52% gave away a used syringe). Individuals with higher injection frequency (≥ 21 times weekly) and who injected with four or more people had higher odds of syringe sharing. Of the survey participants reporting sex in the last month (23%), most reported having one partner, but only 12% used condoms. Nearly all women (11/13) reported exchanging sex for drugs and 6/13 reported exchanging sex for money in the last six months. Fifteen percent of participants (all men) reported paying for sex using drugs or money. Of the used syringes, prevalence estimates were 3% (HIV), 2% (HCV), and 9% (HBV). Conclusions Our findings confirm the urgent need to implement harm reduction interventions targeting PWID and to build a strong and enabling legal and policy environment in Ghana to support these efforts.

Food Insecurity Partially Mediates the Association Between Drug Use and Depressive Symptoms among Men who have Sex with Men in Los Angeles, California

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-26
Author(s):  
David A. Wiss ◽  
Marjan Javanbakht ◽  
Michael J. Li ◽  
Michael Prelip ◽  
Robert Bolan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
High Risk ◽  
Los Angeles ◽  
Drug Use ◽  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Hiv Positive ◽  
Sex With Men ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Hiv Negative

Abstract Objective: To understand the relationship between drug use, food insecurity (FI), and mental health among men who have sex with men (MSM). Design: Cohort study (2014-2019) with at least one follow-up. Setting: Visits at 6-month intervals included self-assessment for FI and depressive symptoms. Urine testing results confirmed drug use. Factors associated with FI were assessed using multiple logistic regression with random effects for repeated measures. General structural equation modeling tested whether FI mediates the relationship between drug use and depressive symptoms. Participants: Data were from HIV-positive and high-risk HIV negative MSM in Los Angeles, CA (n=431; 1,192 visits). Results: At baseline, FI was reported by 50.8% of participants, depressive symptoms in 36.7%, and 52.7% of urine screening tests were positive for drugs (i.e., marijuana, opioids, methamphetamine, cocaine, ecstasy). A positive drug test was associated with a 96% increase in the odds of being food insecure (95% CI: 1.26-3.07). Compared to those with high food security, individuals with very low food security have a nearly 7-fold increase in the odds of reporting depressive symptoms (95% CI: 3.71-11.92). Findings showed 14.9% of the association between drug use (exposure) and depressive symptoms (outcome) can be explained by FI (mediator). Conclusion: The prevalence of FI among this cohort of HIV-positive and high-risk HIV-negative MSM was high; the association between drug use and depressive symptoms was partially mediated by FI. Findings suggest that enhancing access to food and nutrition may improve mood in the context of drug use, especially among MSM at risk for HIV-transmission.

scholarly journals Intersectional analysis of life stress, incarceration and sexual health risk practices among cisgender Black gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men in the Deep South of the US: the MARI Study

Sexual Health ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 38
Author(s):  
Dustin T. Duncan ◽  
Denton Callander ◽  
Lisa Bowleg ◽  
Su Hyun Park ◽  
Lauren Brinkley-Rubinstein ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Drug Use ◽  
Sexual Health ◽  
Health Risk ◽  
Sexual Risk ◽  
Life Stress ◽  
Black Msm ◽  
Deep South ◽  
Risk Practices ◽  
Sex With Men ◽  
Group Sex

Objectives The purpose of the present study was to examine associations between life stress and incarceration history in relation to sexual health risk practices among a sample of cisgender Black gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (MSM) in the Deep South. Methods: Using data from a sample of 355 cisgender Black MSM in Mississippi and Georgia, multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine associations between life stress and sexual risk practices. In addition, we assessed whether stress may interact with experiences of incarceration to influence sexual health risk practices. Results: After controlling for sociodemographic characteristics, stress was associated with some sexual risk practices (e.g. alcohol and drug use during sex and group sex). Further, when an interaction with incarceration was assessed, among participants who had been incarcerated, high compared with low levels of stress were associated with alcohol use during sex (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 4.59, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.11–9.99, P < 0.001), drug use during sex (aOR 3.92, 95% CI 1.79–8.60, P < 0.001), condomless sex with casual partners (aOR 2.83, 95% CI 1.31–6.12, P < 0.001), having six or more casual partners (aOR 2.77, 95% CI 1.09–7.06, P = 0.02) and participating in group sex (aOR 5.67, 95% CI 2.07–15.51, P < 0.001). Stress and incarceration produced a dose–response effect for each association; similar associations with stress were not observed among men who had not been incarcerated. Conclusions: Among people with experiences of incarceration, there are several possible ways our findings could be applied practically, including through safer sex and stress management interventions designed specifically for Black MSM following their release.

Wired Sex Assemblages Among Men Who Have Sex with Men: Sexualized Drug Use, Hookup Apps, and HIV Service Provision

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-25
Author(s):  
Dave Holmes ◽  
Matthew Numer ◽  
Chad Hammond ◽  
Phillip Joy ◽  
Jad Sinno ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Drug Use ◽  
Service Provision ◽  
Sex With Men

scholarly journals Sexual Risk Behavior and Drug Use in Two Chicago Samples of Men Who Have Sex with Men: 1997 vs. 2002

2010 ◽  
Vol 87 (3) ◽  
pp. 452-466 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Fendrich ◽  
Mary Ellen Mackesy-Amiti ◽  
Timothy P. Johnson ◽  
Lance M. Pollack
Keyword(s):  
Drug Use ◽  
Risk Behavior ◽  
Sexual Risk ◽  
Sexual Risk Behavior ◽  
Sex With Men

scholarly journals Prevalence and Correlates of Unhealthy Alcohol and Drug Use Among Men Who Have Sex with Men Prescribed HIV Pre-exposure Prophylaxis in Real-World Clinical Settings

2018 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 190-200 ◽  
Author(s):  
Onyema Ogbuagu ◽  
Brandon D. L. Marshall ◽  
Perry Tiberio ◽  
Adedotun Ogunbajo ◽  
Lydia Barakat ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Drug Use ◽  
Real World ◽  
Clinical Settings ◽  
Alcohol And Drug Use ◽  
Unhealthy Alcohol ◽  
Sex With Men ◽  
Exposure Prophylaxis

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.

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