Citation

Parsons JT, Kelly BC, Weiser JD. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2007; 90(2-3): 135-144.

Affiliation

Center for HIV/AIDS Educational Studies and Training (CHEST), 250 West 26th Street, Suite 300, New York, NY 10001, United States; Hunter College and the Graduate Center of the College of the City University of New York, Department of Psychology, 695 Park

Copyright

(Copyright © 2007, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2007.02.017

PMID

17398040

PMCID

PMC1993847

Abstract

Research over the past 10 years has suggested that methamphetamine use has become a significant problem and is associated with risky sexual behaviors among gay and bisexual men. In order to better understand initiation into methamphetamine use among gay and bisexual men, qualitative analyses were performed on a sample of young gay and bisexual men (ages 18-29) in New York City. Participants were recruited as part of a larger study which used time-space sampling to enroll club-going young adults who indicated recent club drug (ecstasy, ketamine, GHB, methamphetamine, cocaine, and/or LSD) use. The data for this paper are derived from the qualitative interviews of 54 gay and bisexual male methamphetamine users. At initiation (1) methamphetamine was used in a social, non-sexual setting for a majority of the participants; (2) participants expressed limited knowledge of methamphetamine; and (3) many participants used cocaine as a basis for comparison when describing various effects of the drug. The understanding that at initiation methamphetamine was not solely used as a sexual enhancement for members of this community may enable health workers to more accurately target potential users when putting forth intervention efforts. Future research should aim to gain a better understanding into the role that methamphetamine plays in non-sexual contexts, particularly among gay and bisexual men who may not be part of the club "scene." The relationship between attitudes towards methamphetamine and other drugs, particularly cocaine, among gay and bisexual men should be explored.

Language: en