Chemsex – the word used to describe drug use in sexual contexts – is increasingly prevalent amongst men who have sex with men. This guide from 56 Dean Street and the Hepatitis C Trust is an excellent introduction to the issues surrounding this practice:
HCV continues to be a highlystigmatised disease associated with much fear, ignorance and misinformation. The high-risk groups continue to be:
- Injecting drug users
- People living with HIV
- MSM
The trends found in the increased prevalence of ChemSex (the use of recreational drugs in a sexual context) by MSM unites all three of these high-risk groups in concentrated clusters, which warrant novel interventions and prevention messages. This poses distinct challenges for healthcare workers who may struggle to contextualise the activities that occur during the course of a ChemSex party.
You can read the whole report in PDF format here. 56 Dean Street also provide extremely useful resources for professionals.