Methamphetamine, mental health, and HIV in gay and bisexual men were the subjects of a congressional briefing by the National Coalition for LGBT Health September 10. The goal was to state the case and push for additional funding.
While there is no solid national data on the interplay of those factors, a range of urban studies suggests that gay men are twice as likely to use crystal meth as
the population at large, said Perry N. Halkitis, Ph.D., a researcher at New York University.He conducted detailed interviews with 311 Chelsea men who worked out at least three times a week at a gym and found that nearly 25 percent of these health-seeking men had used meth within the last six months. And that wasn't the only thing they were putting into their bodies; most reported use of cocaine, ecstasy, party drugs, and a lot of alcohol, either alone or in combination.
A study of black men in New York who have sex with men found a greater geographic diversity of residence than whites, which Halkitis believes contributes to the spread of meth use among women. They were spending $159 a month on crystal methamphetamine and a total of $775 on all substances of abuse each month, suggesting the complex patterns of addiction.
He said that HIV-positive men are more likely to use meth. "They tell us over the years that methamphetamine provides them with a way to deal with their stigma for being gay and HIV-positive. It gives them energy. It is completely understandable why they would turn to this drug," Halkitis said.
Read the rest.
No comments:
Post a Comment