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David Stuart, Substance Use Lead, 56 Dean StreetCompetently addressing chemsex is challenging, because though it may be perceived as a drug problem, it's more of a sex problem; a cultural problem associated with how gay men understand and pursue sex, intimacy, and relationships.
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THE MEDICAL AND PSYCHOLOGY EXPERTRead on Broadly: Why More Women Are Having Sex on Drugs
Dr. Owen Bowden-Jones, Consultant Psychiatrist for the Club Drug ClinicDrugs have always been used by some to facilitate sex, both by straight and LGBT communities, but there is something new about the recent trend known as chemsex. At the Club Drug Clinic, we have seen drug use and sexual intimacy bound together, some where you can't find one without the other. Sober intimacy can become unthinkable, as does drug use without sex. Some manage to find a balance, but those who come to the clinic asking for help have lost control.
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Matthew Hodson, Chief Executive at GMFASome gay men use drugs to escape because they feel unable to cope with their lives, or because of difficulties they've experienced coming to terms with their sexuality, or because they're struggling to cope with an HIV diagnosis. Tackling that hurt and damage that some gay men feel as they come to terms with their sexuality, even if it were simple to do, may not be enough.But we should not lose sight of the main reason that many gay men take drugs: because, just like our heterosexual brothers and sisters filling the clubs in Ibiza or Ayia Napa, we think they're fun. A report by the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs found that campaigns intended to stop people taking drugs were not effective and, in some cases, increased the chance of people taking drugs.
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Monty Moncrieff, Chief Executive at London FriendAntidote gives men a safe space to talk, and they really value having a specialist service. Ninety percent of our clients tell us it's important to have an LGBT service, and only 12 percent say they'd be happy going to mainstream drug treatment. Sexual health clinics have a big role to play here, too, as guys will go there for PEP or to get a STI treated much sooner than they'd come to a drug service, so setting up outreach in clinics like Mortimer Market and 56 Dean Street was important for us.The wider LGBT community can help lead the discussion about chemsex through events like Let's Talk About Gay Sex and Drugs. These are a great opportunity for the community to shape our own responses and talk to our peers, and not stigmatize others' drug use and sexual choices. When problems occur with chemsex they're connected to much wider issues about belonging, identity, relationships, and intimacy, and our confidence to navigate all of this improves when we understand and support each other.
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Dr. Adam Bourne, Sigma Research, London School of Hygiene & Tropical MedicinePerhaps surprisingly, I actually think one of the priorities needs to be around helping gay men who choose to use drugs to do so more safely.There are lots of guys who don't know enough about basic harm reduction—about dosing of G, timings, potentially dangerous interactions with other drugs or alcohol. The UK is a world leader in drug harm reduction, but we haven't previously focused on the drugs most popular with gay men nowadays. Drug use isn't going to stop, so we need to provide the information to help men use them more safely.In relation to sexual health and wellbeing, it's important that gay men are encouraged to reflect on whether the sex they're having on chems is what they really aspire to. I'm not anti-drugs and I'm absolutely not saying that guys engaging in chemsex are doing anything wrong. But I am saying that so many of the men I've interviewed about this didn't actually seem to be happy with their sex lives. Reflection and contemplation is the first big step in behavior change. We have a responsibility as a community and as health or social care professionals to start those conversations.
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