ArticleSexually transmitted infections2018
Changes in recreational drug use, drug use associated with chemsex, and HIV-related behaviours, among HIV-negative men who have sex with men in London and Brighton, 2013-2016.
Article in Sexually transmitted infections, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 33 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
33 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 88 citations in OpenAlex.
- Psychological and Interpersonal Factors Associated with Sexualized Drug Use Among Men Who Have Sex with Men: A Mixed-Methods Systematic Review.Archives of sexual behavior · 2021Pooled it
- Chemsex is not a barrier to self-reported daily PrEP adherence among PROUD study participants.The International journal on drug policy · 2019Trial
- A Pilot Study of a Mobile App to Support HIV Antiretroviral Therapy Adherence Among Men Who Have Sex with Men Who Use Stimulants.AIDS and behavior · 2019Trial
- Chemsex-associated drug use amongst men and gender-diverse people having sex with men in the UK: Findings from an online community survey, 2024.International journal of STD & AIDS · 2026Article
- Barriers to uptake of harm reduction techniques for GBMSM who use drugs in night-clubs and sex-on-premises venues in London and the Southeast: a mixed-methods, qualitative study.Harm reduction journal · 2025Article
- Transitions in sexual behaviour among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men in England: Data from a prospective study.PloS one · 2025Article
- A contextual behavioral model of chemsex: structural equation modeling of psychological predictors of hypersexuality and drug use.Frontiers in psychology · 2025Article
- Assessing the Effectiveness of an mHealth Intervention to Support Men Who Have Sex With Men Engaging in Chemsex (Budd): Single-Case and Pre-Post Experimental Design Study.JMIR formative research · 2024Article
- Chemsex Session Typologies and Associated Sociodemographic Factors in Sexual Minority Men: Latent Class Analysis From a Cultural Perspective Using a Cross-Sectional Survey.JMIR public health and surveillance · 2024Article
- Sexualized Drug Use and Chemsex among Men Who Have Sex with Men in Europe: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Journal of clinical medicine · 2024Review
- Predictors of starting and stopping chemsex in men who have sex with men in England: findings from the AURAH2 prospective study.Sexually transmitted infections · 2023Article
- Evolution of Risk Behaviors, Sexually Transmitted Infections and PrEP Care Continuum in a Hospital-Based PrEP Program in Barcelona, Spain: A Descriptive Study of the First 2 Years' Experience.Infectious diseases and therapy · 2023Article
- Using Intervention Mapping to Develop an mHealth Intervention to Support Men Who Have Sex With Men Engaging in Chemsex (Budd): Development and Usability Study.JMIR research protocols · 2022Article
- Access to, usage and clinic outcomes of, online postal sexually transmitted infection services: a scoping review.Sexually transmitted infections · 2022Review
- A cohort analysis of sexually transmitted infections among different groups of men who have sex with men in the early era of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis in France.Journal of virus eradication · 2022Article
- Increase in recreational drug use between 2008 and 2018: results from a prospective cohort study among HIV-negative men who have sex with men.Addiction (Abingdon, England) · 2022Article
- Self-Control as Conceptual Framework to Understand and Support People Who Use Drugs During Sex.Frontiers in public health · 2022Review
- Chems4EU: chemsex use and its impacts across four European countries in HIV-positive men who have sex with men attending HIV services.HIV medicine · 2021Article
- Observational
- Sexual consent and chemsex: a quantitative study on sexualised drug use and non-consensual sex among men who have sex with men in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.Sexually transmitted infections · 2021Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
13 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
objectivesThe objective of this study was to compare the prevalence of polydrug use, use of drugs associated with chemsex, specific drug use, and HIV-related behaviours, between two time periods, using two groups of HIV-negative men who have sex with men (MSM) attending the same sexual health clinics in London and Brighton, in two consecutive periods of time from 2013 to 2016.
methodsData from MSM in the cross-sectional Attitudes to and Understanding Risk of Acquisition of HIV (AURAH) study (June 2013 to September 2014) were compared with baseline data from different MSM in the prospective cohort study Attitudes to and Understanding Risk of Acquisition of HIV over Time (AURAH2) (November 2014 to April 2016). Prevalence of polydrug use, drug use associated with chemsex and specific drug use, and 10 measures of HIV-related behaviours including condomless sex, post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) use, pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) use, and HIV testing, were compared. Prevalence ratios (PRs) for the association of the study (time period) with drug use and HIV-related behaviour measures were estimated using modified Poisson regression analysis, unadjusted and adjusted for sociodemographic factors.
resultsIn total, 991 MSM were included from AURAH and 1031 MSM from AURAH2. After adjustment for sociodemographic factors, use of drugs associated with chemsex had increased (adjusted PR (aPR) 1.30, 95% CI 1.11 to 1.53) and there were prominent increases in specific drug use; in particular, mephedrone (aPR 1.32, 95% CI 1.10 to 1.57), γ-hydroxybutyric/γ-butryolactone (aPR 1.47, 95% CI 1.15 to 1.87) and methamphetamine (aPR 1.42, 95% CI 1.01 to 2.01). Use of ketamine had decreased (aPR 0.54, 95% CI 0.38 to 0.78). Certain measures of HIV-related behaviours had also increased, most notably PEP use (aPR 1.50, 95% CI 1.21 to 1.88) and number of self-reported bacterial STI diagnoses (aPR 1.24, 95% CI 1.08 to 1.43).
conclusionsThere have been significant increases in drug use associated with chemsex and some measures of HIV-related behaviours among HIV-negative MSM in the last few years. Changing patterns of drug use and associated behaviours should be monitored to enable sexual health services to plan for the increasingly complex needs of some clients.
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Registered trials
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