Gay Latinos and Tina

Until very recently crystal meth was perceived mostly as a problem of the white gay community and not for Latino gay men.

However, recent studies have shown that the proportion of Latino gay men who use crystal meth is very similar to rates found in the white gay community.

A recent study involving a large random sample of more than 2,000 Latino gay men in San Francisco showed that 45% used some type of recreational drug in the six months prior to the study and 15% used crystal meth. Men in the study were recruited from different types of social or sexual venues, including Latino identified gay bars, mainstream (mostly white) gay bars, sex clubs, internet chat rooms and sex phone lines.

Rates of crystal meth use were slightly lower in Latino-identified venues (11%) than in mainstream venues (14%), suggesting that more acculturated Latino men are more likely to use.

However, the difference observed between those recruited in Latino and mainstream venues was much smaller than expected by those who believe that crystal meth is a problem exclusively of the white gay community.

The highest rate of drug use, and in particular crystal meth use, was found among men who were recruited from the internet chat rooms and phone lines, with two-thirds reporting crystal meth use in the last six months.

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