Substance Use Among Gay and Bisexual Men | CDC

Contents:

• METH HAS VASTATED THE GAY MUNY FOR S. A NEW TREATMENT OFFERS HOPE.
• FORMER SAN FRANCIS METH LORD SPEAKS OUT ABOUT DG ADDICTN THE GAY MUNY
• THE FOUR REASONS WE LOVE METHLEON FOX·FOLLOW7 M READ·JUN 29, 2021--4SHARETHE GAY MUNY HAS BORN THE TRAGEDY OF TWO GREAT EPIMICS: THE FIRST WAS HIV/AIDS, WHICH ROBBED OF A GENERATN OF LEARS AND MENTORS. THE SEND WAS METH, WHICH WILL NTUE TO ROB OF FUTURE LEARS, MENTORS, AND YOUTH FOR YEARS TO E UNLS WE N E TO UNRSTAND S POWER OVER OUR MUNY.HI, MY NAME IS LEON FOX. OVER THE PAST 10 YEARS, I’VE STGGLED WH BOUTS OF METH E THAT REPEATEDLY THREATENED TO VASTATE MY LIFE.NEVER DID I THK MY TWICE-YEARLY RECREATNAL E WOULD SNOWBALL TO A BI-WEEKLY HAB BY YEAR SEVEN AND BEE MY GO-TO RUAL FOR NUMBG PAS AND CELEBRATG PLEASUR. THIS PERD OF MY LIFE CULMATED A HARROWG SIX MONTHS WHERE I WAS EHER G OR G DOWN AND NSTANTLY NSUMED BY SADNS, ANGER, SELF-LOATHG, AND SELF-PY.I NSUMED METH BENRS THAT LASTED 4–5 NSECUTIVE DAYS, DURG WHICH I BARELY ATE, DRANK, OR SLEPT — UNTIL I WOULD EVABLY PASS OUT OM EXHSTN. THE SPAC BETWEEN WERE ALWAYS BTAL: LEAVG ME PHYSILLY AND MOTIVATNALLY STUTE FOR A WEEK OR EVEN LONGER. AT LEAST A HUNDRED TIM, I PROMISED I’D NEVER PICK UP THE PIPE AGA, AND A HUNDRED TIM, I BROKE THAT PROMISE.DPE BEG FULLY AWARE THAT MY LIFE WAS SPNG OUT OF NTROL, MY SIRE TO E REMAED VIRTUALLY UNCHANGED.I DID EVERYTHG I ULD THK OF TO BELAY MY SELF-STCTN. I TRIED HARNSG MY WILLPOWER AGAST . I TALOGED MY HATRED FOR JOURNALS. I SOUGHT THE GUIDANCE OF EXPERTS THE FIELDS OF THERAPY AND HARM RCTN. SADLY, THE EFFORTS PROVED EFFECTIVE TERRG MY E.IT WASN’T UNTIL A CHANCE NVERSATN WH A IEND ABOUT HOW HE SUCCSFULLY STOPPED SMOKG CIGARETT THAT I SAW THE REAL FLUENC UNRPNG MY RELATNSHIP WH METH AND WHAT I ULD DO TO IMPACT .HE SAID THAT ONCE HE UNRSTOOD WHY HE LOVED SMOKG CIGARETT, HE WAS ABLE TO GIVE THEM UP.SO I CID TO ASK MYSELF, “WHY DO I, AND SO MANY MEN WH OUR MUNY, LOVE METH?”REASON ONE — METH CREAT EMPHATIC SEXUAL NNECTNS
• LGBTQ MONTH: METHAMPHETAME USE THE GAY COMMUNY
• GAY MEN ARE DYG FROM A CRISIS WE’RE NOT TALKG ABOUT
• WHAT IS IT ABOUT GAY MEN AND CRYSTAL METH?
• THE DIRTY LTLE SECRET OF GAY MEN AND METH
• EXPLORG FLUENC ON METHAMPHETAME E AMONG BLACK GAY, BISEXUAL AND OTHER MEN WHO HAVE SEX WH MEN ATLANTA: A FOC GROUP STUDY

METH HAS VASTATED THE GAY MUNY FOR S. A NEW TREATMENT OFFERS HOPE.

Rearch published JAMA September documented a spike after the first wave of ernment shutdowns the e of meth, e, fentanyl and hero among those diagnosed wh or at risk of substance e and the gay munyMeth has st a heavy cloud over the gay muny particular for s.

The Natnal Survey on Dg Use and Health timated that 2015, past-year meth e prevalence was more than four tim higher among gay men pared to straight men — at 4. Rearch also suggts that for people who are livg wh HIV, like Roger, meth exacerbat the vis's harm to the, who said he first started takg meth at gay "circu" parti, said his e of the dg led him to stop gog to the doctor and qu takg his HIV treatment a ago.

Wh a year, he had spiraled to meth and 'G' addictn, sabotagg his artistic reer and beg one of the top suppliers of illic dgs to San Francis’s largely gay “party and play” subculture. 'G' is short for GHB (gamma-hydroxybutyrate) or GBL (gamma butyrolactone), which are monly known as 'date rape dgs' but are ed recreatnally parts of the gay muny.

FORMER SAN FRANCIS METH LORD SPEAKS OUT ABOUT DG ADDICTN THE GAY MUNY

Acrdg to data llected by the Natnal Survey on Dg Use and Health, om 2015 to 2017, the percentage of gay men surveyed who reported g meth the prev year was twice as high as straight his memoir, “Tweakerworld, ” which is beg released Tuday, Yamas scrib the experience of livg the dg-fueled “party and play” subculture unflchg, gory tail om the unique perspective of both a one-time addict and dg aler. For many gay men, though, meth is first posed to them as a form of sexual enhancement or a way to extend the party, wh some men reportg that they first tried meth whout even knowg what was. The event follows the overdose aths of two black gay men the Wt Hollywood apartment of Democratic donor Ed Buck, who was acced last fall of jectg fatal dos of crystal methamphetame to victims for his own sexual gratifitn.

There are “fluencers on Instagram wh a hundred thoand followers, and they’re dog crystal meth on the si, and no one unrstands or even knows that and everyone’s sred to talk about , ” he Puy, who has been sober for eight years, said that, like many young gay men who e to Wt Hollywood, he had not been tght about gay sex and was ashamed by . The Gay muny has born the tragedy of two great epimics: the first was HIV/AIDS, which robbed of a generatn of lears and mentors.

”Reason One — Meth creat emphatic sexual nnectnsFrom an early age, we as Gay men are forced to nceal our attractn towards other men unr threat of….

THE FOUR REASONS WE LOVE METHLEON FOX·FOLLOW7 M READ·JUN 29, 2021--4SHARETHE GAY MUNY HAS BORN THE TRAGEDY OF TWO GREAT EPIMICS: THE FIRST WAS HIV/AIDS, WHICH ROBBED OF A GENERATN OF LEARS AND MENTORS. THE SEND WAS METH, WHICH WILL NTUE TO ROB OF FUTURE LEARS, MENTORS, AND YOUTH FOR YEARS TO E UNLS WE N E TO UNRSTAND S POWER OVER OUR MUNY.HI, MY NAME IS LEON FOX. OVER THE PAST 10 YEARS, I’VE STGGLED WH BOUTS OF METH E THAT REPEATEDLY THREATENED TO VASTATE MY LIFE.NEVER DID I THK MY TWICE-YEARLY RECREATNAL E WOULD SNOWBALL TO A BI-WEEKLY HAB BY YEAR SEVEN AND BEE MY GO-TO RUAL FOR NUMBG PAS AND CELEBRATG PLEASUR. THIS PERD OF MY LIFE CULMATED A HARROWG SIX MONTHS WHERE I WAS EHER G OR G DOWN AND NSTANTLY NSUMED BY SADNS, ANGER, SELF-LOATHG, AND SELF-PY.I NSUMED METH BENRS THAT LASTED 4–5 NSECUTIVE DAYS, DURG WHICH I BARELY ATE, DRANK, OR SLEPT — UNTIL I WOULD EVABLY PASS OUT OM EXHSTN. THE SPAC BETWEEN WERE ALWAYS BTAL: LEAVG ME PHYSILLY AND MOTIVATNALLY STUTE FOR A WEEK OR EVEN LONGER. AT LEAST A HUNDRED TIM, I PROMISED I’D NEVER PICK UP THE PIPE AGA, AND A HUNDRED TIM, I BROKE THAT PROMISE.DPE BEG FULLY AWARE THAT MY LIFE WAS SPNG OUT OF NTROL, MY SIRE TO E REMAED VIRTUALLY UNCHANGED.I DID EVERYTHG I ULD THK OF TO BELAY MY SELF-STCTN. I TRIED HARNSG MY WILLPOWER AGAST . I TALOGED MY HATRED FOR JOURNALS. I SOUGHT THE GUIDANCE OF EXPERTS THE FIELDS OF THERAPY AND HARM RCTN. SADLY, THE EFFORTS PROVED EFFECTIVE TERRG MY E.IT WASN’T UNTIL A CHANCE NVERSATN WH A IEND ABOUT HOW HE SUCCSFULLY STOPPED SMOKG CIGARETT THAT I SAW THE REAL FLUENC UNRPNG MY RELATNSHIP WH METH AND WHAT I ULD DO TO IMPACT .HE SAID THAT ONCE HE UNRSTOOD WHY HE LOVED SMOKG CIGARETT, HE WAS ABLE TO GIVE THEM UP.SO I CID TO ASK MYSELF, “WHY DO I, AND SO MANY MEN WH OUR MUNY, LOVE METH?”REASON ONE — METH CREAT EMPHATIC SEXUAL NNECTNS

The phoric state helps ers pe negative feelgs around the social stigmas and ternalized homophobia which n affect many the gay muny. and homosexuaky are two different thgs, tst me i love ck, haha, But thye hyersexuak state om all stims n lead to MSM(men who have sex wh men. Mangia ns a work of muny health centers Los ANGELES — I me of age as a gay man Greenwich Village durg the late 1980s when the AIDS epimic was ragg.

LGBTQ MONTH: METHAMPHETAME USE THE GAY COMMUNY

But took far too many aths to get, the gay muny is facg another crisis that we’re not talkg about and that elected officials are once aga ignorg.

Growg up gay and beg forced to keep that a secret for fear of fay rejectn or neighborhood bullyg n create huge securi and issu wh bt iend was rejected by his fay for beg gay and was beaten the streets of his hometown Mexi. In realy, ’s g untls are many unrlyg reasons gay men start g meth — and those reasons mt be ’s an unfortunate realy that certa sid practic and beliefs are upheld wh gay male culture that put all of danger of adoptg risky behavrs.

Pl, while society is signifintly more acceptg than was even 10 years ago, many gay men still stggle wh discrimatn, vlence and our own ternalized homophobia, which means dgs n be an pe for many. He relapsed after two years of sobriety and eventually died on the one the gay muny is immune to the impact of crystal meth addictn.

GAY MEN ARE DYG FROM A CRISIS WE’RE NOT TALKG ABOUT

If we want to ntue growg as a muny, we mt immediately provi fundg and support for gay men who are the work of muny health centers I lead South Los Angel, an overwhelmg majory of patients we treat our substance abe programs are addicted to crystal meth. Elected officials, gay lears, health re centers and muny centers mt velop fundg and programmg to rpond to this crisis. A versn of this article appears prt on, Sectn A, Page 27 of the New York edn wh the headle: Gay Men Are Dyg From Another Crisis.

As a gay man g of age the early 2000’s, of urse would make sense that a fairly short time-ame I would cross paths wh the darkns known as crystal meth. While I had been drkg, smokg pot, and dabblg psychelics and other dgs sce high school, I disvered meth when llege through the gay club scene.

Comg om a tumultuo, reprsed, and trmatizg fay life, sudnly beg an acceptg space wh other gay men who enuraged me to be ee, feel good, and not hi my sexual feelgs was like a dream e te.

WHAT IS IT ABOUT GAY MEN AND CRYSTAL METH?

The lost hibns duced by the dg are such ntradictn to the lifetime of supprsn that most gay men have to adopt, that the appeal is magic. Growg up a largely homophobic society, we n’t help but velop wh feelgs of shame about who we are, and even ternalized homophobia. I believe that the batn of meth’s extremely physilly addictg quali, along wh the unique feelgs that a gay man grows up wh terms of how he feels about himself, sets up a perfect marriage between gay men and meth e, and explas why the dg is so rampant our muny.

I’ve seen gay men lose their mds, kill themselv, go to jail, steal or hurt others, and I’m humbled to acknowledge how close to ath I probably me my age. Buck said he started an AIDS rmatn anizatn the 1980s, marched for gay and human rights and champned a ban on fur sal Wt Hollywood. Studi have shown that, when pared wh the general populatn, gay and bisexual men, lbian, and transgenr dividuals are more likely to:.

THE DIRTY LTLE SECRET OF GAY MEN AND METH

Alhol and dg e among some gay and bisexual men n be a reactn to homophobia, discrimatn, or vlence they experienced due to their sexual orientatn and n ntribute to other mental health and physil problems. For some gay and bisexual men, alhol and illegal dg e, pecially methamphetam (meth), amyl nrat (poppers), and dgs ed to treat erectile dysfunctn (when a man has a hard time keepg an erectn durg sex), also ntribute to a higher chance of gettg HIV and other STDs. But somethg about s peculiar grip on gay men feels all too faiar, like a dreadful echo of what we suffered a generatn ago.

Durg those years of “gay ncer, ” we were too petrified to acknowledge the g those omo signs have returned, along wh the helpls wish that thgs will improve if only we don’t speak too loudly about .

Revery centers are teemg wh gay men battlg meth addictn, and the dg has a very tight, culturally specific hold on them. But changg an addict’s behavr is a much more amb challenge than changg basic sexual was my goal to brg attentn to this crisis when I agreed to appear a recent documentary about gay men and methamphetame (Todd Ahlberg’s startlg “Meth”). In media and policy nversatns about this dg, one important populatn is often missed out: Gay, bisexual and other men who have sex wh men (here, referred to as gay and queer men).

EXPLORG FLUENC ON METHAMPHETAME E AMONG BLACK GAY, BISEXUAL AND OTHER MEN WHO HAVE SEX WH MEN ATLANTA: A FOC GROUP STUDY

My rearch team at the Brish Columbia Centre on Substance Use recently published a systematic review offerg pellg evince that tegratg sexual health servic and substance e re for gay and queer men who e meth n work.

Rearch dit that meth is often ed by gay and queer men as a means to rce anxiety and crease dishibn, pleasure and sociabily.

Gay and queer men who e meth often report engagg sex practic that they would not otherwise choose, cludg havg anal sex wh multiple partners whout ndoms. In our ongog rearch, many of the young gay and queer men who report g meth have told that they have rced their meth e by g nnabis. Neverthels, nnabis is unlikely to be helpful for all gay and queer men who e meth, as we are also seeg that some of those g nnabis ntue to report a variety of mental health problems, cludg anxiety, feelg paranoid and a tenncy to isolate themselv.