Welcome to Chemsex Week

Two years ago, VICE published a report on the "slamming" parties that were ravaging London's gay scene, a phenomenon that became known as "chemsex." Soon after, we started to make a feature-length documentary. The film tells the stories of men involved in a world of parties that last for days, where they have multiple sexual partners, on cocktails of drugs that lower inhibitions and increase desire. It's also about the consequences that this behavior has had on their lives. It paints a frank portrait of men trapped in a cycle of addiction and self-destructive behavior; it also shows that, thanks to the pioneering work of sexual health clinics like London's 56 Dean Street, and people there like David Stuart, there is a way out, and there is hope.

It is clear that health services do not yet know how to address the complex range of issues involved in the chemsex scene, in part because they are so wide-ranging. In November, a British Medical Journal report suggested that chemsex is leading to an increase in sexually transmitted infections, and particularly HIV. Regular involvement in chemsex may exacerbate serious mental health issues. The drugs involved, such as GHB and crystal meth, can be, and have been, fatal.

But chemsex is not just about sexual health or addiction, and it demands a deeper understanding. As much as it is about sex and drugs, it is also about isolation and intimacy and loneliness in the age of hookup culture. The difficult questions this film asks could be asked by many—if not all—of us: If we feel alone, where do we go to find acceptance and love?

All week, VICE will be going beyond the sensationalist headlines and exploring the many intricate threads in the chemsex story. We'll go inside the murky world of the HIV denialist movement, whose followers deny the link between HIV and AIDS. We'll look at why sober sex can be such a problem, we'll examine the need for more same-sex education in schools, and we'll report on the experience of HIV positive dating. We'll also find out how the experts would solve the chemsex crisis if they were in charge.

In order to address a new healthcare emergency, new tactics are required. We are telling the stories of those caught up in the chemsex world so that their voices are heard. Chemsex needs to be brought out into the open so it can be properly addressed.

—Rebecca Nicholson, Editor-in-Chief, VICE UK

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