Changes in chemsex and sexual behaviour over time, among a cohort of MSM in London and Brighton: Findings from the AURAH2 study

• Published in: The International journal of drug policy 2019-06, Vol.68, p.54-61
• Main Authors: Sewell, Janey, Cambiano, Valentina, Speakman, Andrew, Lampe, Fiona C., Phillips, Andrew, Stuart, David, Gilson, Richard, Asboe, David, Nwokolo, Nneka, Clarke, Amanda, Rodger, Alison J.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Amphetamines; Anal intercourse; Attitudes; Bacteria; Change agents; Chemsex; Cities; Clinics; Cohort; Cohort analysis; Condomless sex; Data collection; Drug policy; Drugs; England; Health education; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Health promotion; Health risk assessment; HIV; HIV prevention; Homosexuality; Homosexuality, Male - psychology; Human immunodeficiency virus; Humans; Internet; Longitudinal; Male; Men; Men who have sex with men; Methamphetamine; Methamphetamine - analogs & derivatives; Methamphetamine - pharmacology; Middle Aged; Prevention; Prevention programs; Preventive medicine; Prospective Studies; Questionnaires; Sexual behavior; Sexual Behavior - drug effects; Sexual behaviour; Sexual health; Sexually transmitted diseases; Sodium Oxybate - pharmacology; STD; Undiagnosed; Unsafe Sex - statistics & numerical data; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0955-3959; 1873-4758
• DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2019.03.021

Recent evidence has suggested that chemsex (the use of mephedrone, crystal methamphetamine and γ -hydroxybutyrate/ γ -butryolactone (GHB/GBL) to enable, enhance and prolong sexual interactions) has increased among men having sex with men (MSM) attending sexual health clinics in large UK cities. To date there has been no data from the UK or Europe that describes changes in chemsex over time within a cohort of MSM. The prospective cohort study, Attitudes to and Understanding Risk of Acquisition of HIV over Time (AURAH2), collected online questionnaire data from HIV negative or undiagnosed MSM (at enrolment) from 2015 to 2018, recruited from sexual health clinics. We aim to investigate changes in chemsex, three individual drugs associated with chemsex, frequency of chemsex sessions and measures of sexual behaviour, among the cohort of MSM over the study’s 3 year follow-up period. In total 622 MSM completed at least one online questionnaire for the AURAH2 study, of which 400 (64.3%) were still engaged with the study within the last six months of follow-up. Prevalence of chemsex significantly declined during the follow-up from 31.8% (198/622) at the first online questionnaire, to 11.1% (8/72; p