ArticlePloS one2019
Chemsex among men who have sex with men living outside major cities and associations with sexually transmitted infections: A cross-sectional study in the Netherlands.
Article in PloS one, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT06476873 (Substance Use Disorder in Chemsex Practice), which is not on this map. Cited by 40 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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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.
Substance Use Disorder in Chemsex Practice: Evaluation of the Prevalence of the Disorder Among Users Via an Online Self-questionnaire
Who cites it
40 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Exploring practices to enhance benefits and reduce risks of chemsex among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men: A meta-ethnography.The International journal on drug policy · 2024Pooled it
- Cognitive Impairment Following Clinical or Recreational Use of Gammahydroxybutyric Acid (GHB): A Systematic Review.Current neuropharmacology · 2022Pooled it
- Mental Health Symptoms Associated with Sexualized Drug Use (Chemsex) among Men Who Have Sex with Men: A Systematic Review.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2021Pooled it
- History of sexually transmitted infections among mpox cases in the 2022 outbreak in Spain.HIV medicine · 2026Article
- Community perceptions of chemsex practices in Türkiye: a cross-sectional online survey.BMC public health · 2026Article
- Factors Associated with Chemsex Practice Among People Living with HIV in Serbia.AIDS and behavior · 2026Article
- Chemsex and uptake of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis among adult cisgender gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men worldwide: a systematic review with meta-analysis.EClinicalMedicine · 2026Article
- Sex, drugs, and arousal-two randomized trials on the effects of ketamine on sexual arousal and calcarine gyrus activity.Therapeutic advances in psychopharmacology · 2026Article
- Chemsex as a Diagnostic Challenge: Toward Recognition in ICD-12 and Integrated Treatment Approaches-A Narrative Review.Journal of clinical medicine · 2025Review
- The Impact of Pleasure and Pain on Frequent Substance Use During Receptive Anal Intercourse.Journal of sex research · 2025Article
- Determining the strength of evidence for an association between sexual indicators and risk of acquiring HIV and sexually transmitted infections: Providing evidence for blood donation policy change.Transfusion medicine (Oxford, England) · 2024Review
- GHB, Chemsex and Chemical Submission: Investigating the Role of Sexuality on Victim Empathy and Blame Attribution in Drug-Facilitated Sexual Assault against Men.Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- The "Chemsex" Phenomenon and Its Relationship with Psychological Variables in Men Who Have Sex with Men.Archives of sexual behavior · 2024Article
- ChemsexPH: The association between chemsex, HIV status and adherence to antiretroviral therapy among men who have sex with men in the Philippines.Journal of the International AIDS Society · 2024Article
- In the fight against HIV/AIDS: the arduous implementation of government-funded pre-exposure prophylaxis programme in Taiwan.Sexually transmitted infections · 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
- Descriptive study on substance uses and risk of sexually transmitted infections in the practice of Chemsex in Spain.Frontiers in public health · 2024Observational
- Chemsex, Anxiety and Depression Among Gay, Bisexual and Other Men Who have Sex with Men Living with HIV.AIDS and behavior · 2023Article
- Epidemiology and antimicrobial resistance profile of Neisseria gonorrhoeae in Catalonia, Spain, 2016-2019.European journal of clinical microbiology & infectious diseases : official publication of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology · 2023Article
- Drug behaviors, sexually transmitted infection prevention, and sexual consent during chemsex: insights generated in the Budd app after each chemsex session.Frontiers in public health · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThe intentional use of drugs to have sex-chemsex-among men who have sex with men (MSM) might contribute to the high sexually transmitted infections (STI) prevalence in this group. Limited data is available on chemsex outside major cities. The current study investigated the use of a wide variety of drugs during sex among MSM living outside major cities in the Netherlands and their associations with STI.
methodsIn 2018, 350 MSM were recruited at STI clinics and 250 MSM completed an online questionnaire. Questionnaire data were linked to clients' most recent STI laboratory test results. Chemsex was defined as using cocaine, crystal meth, designer drugs, GHB/GBL, ketamine, speed, or XTC/MDMA during sex in the preceding six months. The use of other drugs was also assessed. Determinants (chemsex, specific drugs, number of drugs, combining, and frequency) potentially associated with STI were assessed using multivariable logistic regression analyses adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics and sexual history.
resultsChemsex was reported by 35% (95%CI: 29-41) of the 250 participants. XTC/MDMA (27%; 68/250) and GHB/GBL (26%; 64/250) were the most used drugs. STI positivity was 33% (29/87) in MSM engaging in chemsex and 12% (12/163) in MSM not engaging in chemsex (p<0.001). Half of MSM engaging in chemsex (45/87) used three of more different chemsex drugs; STI positivity in this group was 44% (20/45). The only factor independently associated with STI was the use of three or more chemsex drugs (aOR: 4.13, 95%CI: 1.77-9.62).
conclusionThis study shows that chemsex is prevalent among MSM visiting the STI clinic outside major cities in the Netherlands, suggesting that health services in both urban and non-urban areas should be aware of and informed on chemsex. MSM who used multiple drugs are at particular risk for STI, indicating a special need for STI prevention and care in this group.
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