{"id":77803,"date":"2019-01-31T04:25:23","date_gmt":"2019-01-31T09:25:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gayfriendschat.com\/socialblog\/meth-ghb-and-sex-are-at-heart-of-book-using-a-harm-reduction-approach-to-treating-addiction\/"},"modified":"2019-01-31T04:25:23","modified_gmt":"2019-01-31T09:25:23","slug":"meth-ghb-and-sex-are-at-heart-of-book-using-a-harm-reduction-approach-to-treating-addiction","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gayfriendschat.com\/socialblog\/meth-ghb-and-sex-are-at-heart-of-book-using-a-harm-reduction-approach-to-treating-addiction\/","title":{"rendered":"Meth, GHB, and Sex Are At Heart Of Book Using a Harm Reduction Approach To Treating Addiction"},"content":{"rendered":"

Meth, GHB, and Sex Are At Heart Of Book Using a Harm Reduction Approach To Treating Addiction<\/b><\/p>\n

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The harm reduction book is meant to give plain advice for those that \u201cparty and play\u201d to help prevent HIV.<\/p>\n

Chemsex \u2014 or the use of GHB, methamphetamine or mephedrone in sexual settings in the queer and trans<\/a> community \u2014 provides a means for many to experience intimacy that is otherwise hindered by shame and stigma. But\u00a0chemsex\u00a0encounters bear risks and potential harms, exacerbated by this stigma, which are most often addressed \u2014 if at all \u2014with a focus on prevention.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s why two London sexual health professionals wrote\u00a0Chemsex\u00a0First Aid<\/em>, a booklet that spells out \u201chow to react when things go wrong in a\u00a0chemsex\u00a0session,\u201d according to one of its authors, Ignacio Labayen de Inza. Along with co-author\u00a0David Stuart\u2014who also provides\u00a0ChemSex\u00a0support\u00a0services\u00a0in London and who first coined the term \u201cchemsex\u201d in the early 2000s \u2014 de Inza identified a need for\u00a0Chemsex\u00a0First Aid<\/em>\u00a0because many\u00a0chemsex-related care providers knew \u201cwhat to do to prevent problems, but there was practically nothing until now about what to do when things are already going wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n

The booklet takes the harm reduction approach of recognizing that queer men<\/a> practice\u00a0chemsex, and will continue to do so. Three in 10 HIV-positive UK men<\/a> who have sex<\/a> with men<\/a> (MSM), for example,\u00a0engage\u00a0in\u00a0chemsex\u00a0activities. Many who engage in\u00a0chemsex\u00a0find it a means to cope with the conflicts queerness poses for \u201ctoxic masculinity\u201d and some \u201creligious or cultural attitudes,\u201d says de Inza. \u201cGetting high on the right drugs can seem a great \u2018solution\u2019 to these problems. Chems provide a great disinhibition from these issues.\u201d<\/p>\n

The guide has four sections, respectively addressing: GHB\/GBL-related emergencies; methamphetamine- and mephedrone-related emergencies; other emergencies that occur in\u00a0chemsex\u00a0environments; and a summary of first aid situations.<\/p>\n

Many of the interventions proposed for\u00a0chemsex\u00a0drugs are similar to those suggested for opioids. For example, the booklet advises bystanders to look for problematic breathing and \u201cfirmly squeez[e] their trapezius muscle,\u201d when assessing whether someone has fallen into\u00a0\u201cG-sleep,\u201d\u00a0a state of unconsciousness that could lead to death\u2014similar to\u00a0\u201cnodding\u201d\u00a0in a potential opioid overdose. Working at \u201ca sexual health clinic that has thousands of gay<\/a> men<\/a> who engage in\u00a0chemsex\u00a0every month coming through its doors,\u201d de Inza has seen \u201chundreds who overdose monthly\u201d from\u00a0chemsex\u00a0drugs.<\/p>\n

The guide also considers withdrawal, particularly from GHB\/GBL, and the risks of intravenous drug use, such as intravenous infection, HIV infection or introducing a large amount of air into a vein.<\/p>\n

But\u00a0chemsex\u00a0also features unique risks and harms. Consent during a meth\/meph high can be problematic, because of the drugs\u2019 tendency to null inhibitions and ability to calculate risk. Additionally, meth and meph carry the risk of drug-induced psychosis. The guidelines advise that both issues require active support, and a negotiation between an individual\u2019s agency and the harms caused to themselves or others.<\/p>\n

Other\u00a0chemsex\u00a0situations potentially requiring first aid interventions include \u201clodged objects\u201d in the anus, HIV infection, priapism (long-lasting, painful erections), and allergic reactions to substances cut into drugs. \u00a0<\/p>\n

For de Inza,\u00a0Chemsex\u00a0First Aid\u00a0is a part of queer men<\/a>\u2019s \u201clong history of activism\u2026 of sharing information and stories, and of looking out for each other.\u201d The booklet joins a harm reduction ecosystem of both institutional resources and the \u201cword-of-mouth amongst guys<\/a> that engage in\u00a0chemsex.\u201d De Inza aimed \u201cto highlight the best tips and advice for the most extreme of circumstances, the most potential[ly] fatal.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis was the inspiration behind this resource,\u201d de Inza continues. \u201cThere are some seriously complicated judgement calls<\/a> to be made in dangerous\u00a0chemsexenvironments, that many health organizations struggle to get right. We had to create this resource for our communities.\u201d<\/p>\n

Check out the guide here.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

This article was\u00a0originally published by\u00a0<\/a><\/em>Filter<\/a>, a magazine covering drug use, drug policy and human rights. Follow\u00a0<\/em>Filter\u00a0on\u00a0Facebook<\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0Twitter<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

Written by By\u00a0Sessi Kuwabara Blanchard<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

The post Meth, GHB, and Sex Are At Heart Of Book Using a Harm Reduction Approach To Treating Addiction<\/a> appeared first on Towleroad Gay News<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Meth, GHB, and Sex Are At Heart Of Book Using a Harm Reduction Approach To Treating Addiction<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n