Sexualised drug use among MSM in urban and non-urban GUM clinics
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Assessment of unmet need for sexualised drug use information and services among men who have sex with men attending urban and non-urban genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinics in England and Scotland
IRAS ID
237310
Contact name
Richard Kennedy
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Public Health England
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 3 months, 1 days
Research summary
Sexualised drug use is a term for the use of drugs immediately before or during planned sexual activity to sustain, enhance, disinhibit or facilitate the experience. Chemsex usually refers to this in the context of specific drugs (chems), namely: crystal methamphetamine, gamma-hydroxybutyric acid or gamma-butyrolactone (GHB or GBL), mephedrone, and ketamine.
Traditionally, chemsex has been described in larger urban areas (such as London) and largely in men who have sex with men (MSM). However, recent surveys have suggest that chemsex consultations are occurring in both urban and rural areas in both nations. There is very limited data on these practices in other men (such as heterosexual men and transmen).
Chemsex has been associated with higher risk sexual behaviours, such as increased partner numbers, increased risk of sexually transmitted infections and delay to accessing treatment. There is further concern about the injecting of these drugs (also known as slamming). It has been highlighted as a public health priority in the Public Health England MSM Action Plan.
Estimates for the scale of current sexualised drug use and chemsex vary widely. Some studies have compared single large cities to the rest of the UK, but no studies have specifically assessed the amount of drug use among MSM attending sexual health clinics in a variety of urban versus rural clinical settings.
Therefore, this survey assesses burden of drug use and sexualised drug use in men attending sexual health clinics in a mixture of urban and non-urban settings across England and Scotland, with a particular focus on MSM and the unmet need of services specific to this health issue. These clinics could be well placed to identify sexualised drug use and offer intervention and preventative methods to reduce incidence
REC name
West of Scotland REC 5
REC reference
18/WS/0071
Date of REC Opinion
24 Apr 2018
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion