Why do gay guys do meth

One especially troubling phenomenon is the rise of crystal methamphetamine (meth) use among gay men. Here’s a closer look at the phenomenon, along with why finding the right treatment program can be the key to recovery. Because crystal meth has become so popular within the gay party circuit, gay meth users will sometimes feel pressure to take the drug to desperately ‘stay’ in the gay scene.

I believe that the combination of meth’s extremely physically addicting qualities, along with the unique feelings that a gay man grows up with in terms of how he feels about himself, sets up a perfect marriage between gay men and meth use, and explains why the drug is so rampant in our community. Meth use in America has now spread from traditionally gay, white users into communities of color (including transgender ones), bringing with it increasing HIV infection rates despite 30 years of prevention efforts.

Research has found that the drug is closely linked to sexual risk-taking among men who have sex with men and that it has been a major driver of HIV transmission among this population. For Roger, the enormity of what he had lost during his nearly two decades of off-and-on methamphetamine use — and what more he had to lose — hit home hard when a man he was dating asked him that question.

In , about 16, of the more than 70, estimated overdose deaths in the U. Oldest Newest Most Voted. The clubs felt like a new family had embraced me, and with that I would pretty much try anything that was put in front of me. The miracle of crystal meth, of course. You May Also Like Edition: Europe.

What Is It About Gay Men and Crystal Meth? | Gay Therapy Center

I allow gaytherapycenter. Michael Mancino, a psychiatrist and addiction specialist at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. Coming from a tumultuous, repressed, and traumatizing family life, suddenly being in an accepting space with other gay men who encouraged me to be free, feel good, and not hide my sexual feelings was like a dream come true.

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Unlike for opioid use disorder, there are no effective pharmaceuticals that one can take. The world became grey, muted, and not pleasurable when I was off it. However, Dr. And meth use can lead to many other negative health outcomes, including depression, anxiety and suicide. Research also suggests that for people who are living with HIV, like Roger, meth exacerbates the virus's harm to the body. When I look back on it all now, I realize it was just going to be a matter of time.

And in theory, naltrexone reduced the euphoric effects of and cravings for meth. Overall, IE 11 is not supported. Roger, who said he first started taking meth at gay "circuit" parties, said his use of the drug led him to stop going to the doctor and quit taking his HIV treatment a decade ago. Specifically, RADAR seeks to understand the connections between HIV, substance use, and social factors over time, with the ultimate goal of identifying barriers to implementing strategies to end the HIV epidemic.

While I had been drinking, smoking pot, and dabbling in psychedelics and other drugs since high school, I discovered meth when in college through the gay club scene. Schedule Your Free 15 min. My research team at the British Columbia Centre on Substance Use recently published a systematic review offering compelling evidence that integrating sexual health services and substance use care for gay and queer men who use meth can work.