GHB/GBL, cocaine, ketamine, crystal meth and mephedrone - the range of sex drugs, i.e. chems ['K:ems'], is not small. Chems intensify lust and increase feelings of happiness. However, they can also lead to consequential damage.
In order to find out more about drug use by gay men, British researchers conducted a study in three London boroughs with an above-average gay population. This included a survey of 30 men who had used chemsex during sex in the previous year. The recently published results of the chemsex study are therefore not representative, but nevertheless allow conclusions to be drawn about drug use in major German cities. The most important facts summarised here:
Effects on sexual sensation and sexual performance:
A large part of the 30 respondents ...
- increases lust with Chems and has longer, more varied and more daring sex, sometimes with several men.
- takes Chems to overcome difficulties with her own self-esteem/sexual confidence.
- is not satisfied with his sex life despite the increase in sexual experience.
Some of the interviewees said that they ...
- can no longer have sex without Chems.
- were worried about having overstepped their own sexual boundaries with Chems, which they in turn regretted.
What else?
"Slamming", i.e. injecting drugs - especially crystal meth - occurs much less frequently than expected, namely in 3.5 per cent of the 1,100 or so gay men from the three London boroughs surveyed for which current data is available. By contrast, a third of the 30 respondents had recently injected crystal meth or mephedrone. They stated that they then had even more extreme sex than with other forms of drug use.
Drugs and HIV risk behaviour:
About a quarter of the participants ...
- felt in control of his actions and had sex with limited likelihood of transmitting HIV or another sexually transmitted infection.
- was HIV-positive themselves and deliberately had unprotected anal sex with men they believed were also HIV-positive.
However, just under a third found it difficult to control themselves when using drugs and took the risk of transmitting HIV or other sexually transmitted infections.
What else?
Only a small proportion of men were looking for risky sex and felt even more willing to take risks by taking drugs, crossing sexual boundaries and living out fantasies.
Negative experiences and consequential damage:
Again and again the men explainedthat ...
- Chems can have a negative impact on social ties, careers and relationships.
- they needed a lot of time to recover after use.
- they were afraid of an overdose (especially of GHB/GBL).
- they had their own experiences or knew of third parties who had been hospitalised with panic attacks and convulsions due to overdoses.
What else?
Some men reported delusions of persecution, anxiety or aggression, acute manic episodes or psychotic episodes that had to be treated.
Despite their own use, most men were concerned about the possible effects of chemsex on the gay scene.
A German summary with more information can be found here: https://www.hivreport.de/
Further results and details of the study can be found at: http://www.lambeth.gov.uk/sites/default/files/ssh-chemsex-study-final-main-report.pdf.
If you would like to find out more about the topic in general, you can find more information on the ICH WEISS WAS ICH TU website at https://www.iwwit.de/themen/drogen the most important information.
The 1st Alternative Drug and Addiction Report, co-edited by Deutsche AIDS-Hilfe, was published on 2 July 2014. It is intended to help translate existing knowledge about prevention and drug help into a long-term successful drug policy. To the full report: http://www.aidshilfe.de/sites/default/files/Alternativer%20Sucht%20und%20Drogenbericht%202014.pdf
