Preprint Article Version 1 Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed

Trends and Patterns of Sexualised Drug Use among HIV-Positive Gay, Bisexual and Other Men Who Have Sex with Men: Insights from a Comprehensive Study in a Major European City - The U-SEX-2 GESIDA 9416 Study

Pablo Ryan
*,† ,
Helen Dolengevich-Segal
† ,
Luis Ramos-Ruperto
,
Alfonso Cabello
,
Matilde Sanchez-Conde
,
Jorge Vergas
,
Jorge Valencia
,
Guillermo Cuevas
ORCID logo ,
Jose Sanz-Moreno
ORCID logo ,
Javier Curto-Ramos
,
Javier Pérez-Bootello
ORCID logo ,
Jorge Naharro-Rodriguez
,
Mar J.F Ollero
,
Lucio Garcia Fraile
ORCID logo ,
Leire Pérez-Latorre
,
Otilia Bisbal
,
Sara De la Fuente
,
Juan Emilio Losa
,
Miguel Cervero
,
Miriam Estebanez
,
Inés Suarez-Garcia
ORCID logo ,
Alejandra Gimeno
,
Ignacio Terrancle
,
Rafael Mican
,
Alicia González Baeza
†
†
The first, second and last authors contributed equally to this study.
Version 1 : Received: 1 September 2023 / Approved: 1 September 2023 / Online: 4 September 2023 (02:43:27 CEST)

A peer-reviewed article of this Preprint also exists.

Ryan, P.; Dolengevich-Segal, H.; Ramos-Ruperto, L.; Cabello, A.; Sanchez-Conde, M.; Vergas, J.; Valencia, J.; Cuevas, G.; Sanz, J.; Curto-Ramos, J.; Pérez-Bootello, J.; Naharro-Rodriguez, J.; Ollero, M.J.F.; Garcia Fraile, L.; Pérez-Latorre, L.; Bisbal, O.; De la Fuente, S.; Losa, J.E.; Cervero, M.; Estebanez, M.; Suarez-Garcia, I.; Gimeno, A.; Terrancle, I.; Mican, R.; González-Baeza, A. Patterns of Sexualized Drug Use among Gay, Bisexual, and Other Men Who Have Sex with Men Living with HIV: Insights from a Comprehensive Study—The U-SEX-2 GESIDA 9416 Study. J. Clin. Med. 2023, 12, 7293. Ryan, P.; Dolengevich-Segal, H.; Ramos-Ruperto, L.; Cabello, A.; Sanchez-Conde, M.; Vergas, J.; Valencia, J.; Cuevas, G.; Sanz, J.; Curto-Ramos, J.; Pérez-Bootello, J.; Naharro-Rodriguez, J.; Ollero, M.J.F.; Garcia Fraile, L.; Pérez-Latorre, L.; Bisbal, O.; De la Fuente, S.; Losa, J.E.; Cervero, M.; Estebanez, M.; Suarez-Garcia, I.; Gimeno, A.; Terrancle, I.; Mican, R.; González-Baeza, A. Patterns of Sexualized Drug Use among Gay, Bisexual, and Other Men Who Have Sex with Men Living with HIV: Insights from a Comprehensive Study—The U-SEX-2 GESIDA 9416 Study. J. Clin. Med. 2023, 12, 7293.

Abstract

Background: This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of sexualized drug use (SDU) in gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men living with HIV (HIV+GBMSM) in Madrid during 2019/2020 and compare it with data from 2016/2017. Methods: We analysed the frequency of SDU in a sample of HIV+GBMSM attending HIV clinics, who participated in an anonymous online survey regarding sexual behaviour and recreational drug use. The association between SDU, sexual risk behaviours, and STIs was evaluated. The methodology employed in the present study(U-SEX-2) in 2019/2020 was consistent with that of a previous study(U-SEX-1) in 2016/2017. Results: The study included 424 HIV+GBMSM, with a mean age of 40(10.43) years. Overall, 94% (396) reported being sexually active. Additionally, 33% (140) had been diagnosed with an STI within the previous year. Moreover, 54% (229) had used drugs in the last year, 25% (107) engaged in SDU, and 15% (17) reported engagement in slamsex. After adjusting for confounding factors, SDU was associated with STIs, fisting, unprotected anal intercourse, and having > 24 sexual partners in the last year. According to the DUDIT test scores, 76% (81) probably had problematic drug use (≥6 points), and 5% (8) probable drug dependence (≥25 points). When comparing the U-SEX-1(2016/2017) data with the U-SEX-2(2019/2020) data, no significant differences were found in the proportion of participants practicing SDU or slamsex. Conclusion: The prevalence of SDU among HIV+GBMSM has remained high in recent years and without significant changes. We observed a clear association between SDU, high-risk sexual behaviors, STIs, and the risk of drug related problems.

Keywords

MSM; trends; high-risk sexual behaviors; HIV; sexualized drug use; chemsex; sexually transmitted infections

Subject

Public Health and Healthcare, Health Policy and Services

Copyright: This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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