Public Health in Seattle and King County recently released an informative update on poppers.
Although poppers have been around for decades, information about their health risks has not always been consistent or accurate. Urban myths, deceptive retail ads and outdated research may confuse individuals about the actual facts.
In a recent local survey of men who have sex with men, nearly three-quarters (72%) said gay men need better information about poppers, and 42% would go to their health care provider for that information.
What are poppers? Can you get addicted to them? Do they damage your immune system?
Click here to find the answers to these questions and more in English.
Click here for the poppers info in Spanish.
HomoHealth.org also has some good info on poppers here.And click here for the results of a 2006 Poppers Survey done in Seattle.
Just 3 hits of poppers!
ReplyDeleteGood news. Bad news.
Poppers do not permanently destroy the immune system.
Poppers do temporarily suppress immune function....increasing susceptibility to infections, including HIV and KS virus infections.
There has been one human study assessing the effect of popper use on the human immune system. Just 3 inhalations immediately suppressed natural killer cell function 30%...and it took 4 days for natural killer cell function to return to baseline. Natural killer cells are part of the frontline of immune defense against new viruses, bacteria, fungi, germs. Consider that all exposures to HIV do not result in infection...sometimes your immune system knocks out the invasion. This is lucky for us...but something we dont highlight.
****One of the guidelines for safer barebacking was to avoid poppers and its immunosuppression which increases susceptibility to infection if exposed to HIV virus.
High viral loads and suppressed immune systems increase susceptibility to infection.
Why only 3 hits?
The study safety committee would only allow 3 hits even though we told them that 3 hits was on the low end of use.
Why a human study?
Congress directed National Institute of Drug Abuse to do a human study and report back within 6 months. Worried gay constituents of Rep. Mel Levine,Democrat of Los Angeles pressured for a human study. NIDA subsequently returned to mice studies. Lucky that the human study was mandated.
Who was studied?
18 gay, hiv negative volunteers participated in the study at the Addiction Research Center near Bethesda. The study safety committee would not allow hiv positive volunteers to participate because of fear that poppers would do irreparable damage.
"But I like poppers."
Some guys aren't interested in the research.
Others are interested and will keep poppers in their equation.
Multiple options??
"I hate poppers already." Some guys aren't interested in the research.
Not sure??? Questions, concerns, requests, experiences, perspectives welcome.
More details available. Thanks. Hank