Sexualized drug use, risky sexual behaviors, and prevention strategies among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men

• Published in: Drugs : education, prevention & policy Vol. ahead-of-print; no. ahead-of-print; pp. 1 - 13
• Main Authors: Íncera-Fernández, Daniel, Román-González, F. Javier, Moreno-Guillén, Santiago, Gámez-Guadix, Manuel
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Taylor & Francis 03-07-2024
• Subjects: Chemsex; men who have sex with men; public health; sexual behavior; sexualized drug use
• ISSN: 0968-7637; 1465-3370
• DOI: 10.1080/09687637.2023.2225245

This study aimed to analyze the prevalence of sexualized drug use (SDU) and determine its association with a comprehensive set of sociodemographic characteristics, risky sexual behaviors, prevention measures for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and other sexually transmitted infections (STI), and STI diagnosis in Spain.
The sample consisted of 493 men who have sex with men between 18 and 78 years old (M age = 32.58, SD = 11.05).
Approximately 37.9% of the participants had participated in SDU. Participants who practiced SDU were significantly more likely to be older and have more casual sexual partners and engage in less conventional sexual practices than those who did not. In addition, SDU was associated with less consistent condom use and greater use of Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) compared to participants who did not practice SDU. Finally, the STI diagnosis was also significantly related to SDU. However, when condom use and PrEP was included and controlled in the model along with STI diagnosis, SDU was no longer related to a higher likelihood of STI diagnosis.
These results reveal the need to strengthen programs to foster risk-reduction behaviors and reduce the incidence of health implications associated with SDU.