Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33494013›Full record

ArticleThe International journal on drug policy2021

Recreational drug use and use of drugs associated with chemsex among HIV-negative and HIV-positive heterosexual men and women attending sexual health and HIV clinics in England.

Ada R Miltz, Alison J Rodger, Janey Sewell, Richard Gilson, Sris Allan, Christopher Scott, Tariq Sadiq, Paymaneh Farazmand, Jeffrey McDonnell, Andrew Speakman and 6 more

Open access · hybridAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in The International journal on drug policy, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 13 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
13citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
1.4field-weighted citation impact, top 16% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

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.

2 · The registry

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.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

13 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 33 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Review
  5. Article
  6. An online study to understand chemsex in India.Indian journal of psychiatry · 2025
    Article
  7. Review
  8. Review
  9. Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

16 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Ada R MiltzInstitute for Global Health, University College London, London, UK. Electronic address: Ada.Miltz.11@ucl.ac.uk.
Alison J RodgerInstitute for Global Health, University College London, London, UK.
Janey SewellInstitute for Global Health, University College London, London, UK.
Richard GilsonInstitute for Global Health, University College London, London, UK.
Sris AllanCity of Coventry Healthcare Centre, Coventry, UK.
Christopher ScottWest London Centre for Sexual Health, London, UK.
Tariq SadiqCourtyard Clinic, St George's Healthcare NHS Trust, London, UK.
Paymaneh FarazmandPrincess Royal Community Health Centre, Huddersfield, UK.
Jeffrey McDonnellDepartment of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, London, UK.
Andrew SpeakmanInstitute for Global Health, University College London, London, UK.
Lorraine SherrInstitute for Global Health, University College London, London, UK.
Andrew N PhillipsInstitute for Global Health, University College London, London, UK.
Anne M JohnsonInstitute for Global Health, University College London, London, UK.
Simon CollinsHIV i-Base, London, UK.
Fiona C LampeInstitute for Global Health, University College London, London, UK.
AURAH and ASTRA Study Groups
University College London · GBCoventry (United Kingdom) · GBSouth West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust · GB

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThere is little information on the prevalence of recreational drug use among UK heterosexual men and women, in particular on use of drugs associated with 'chemsex' within gay communities. The aim of this study was to examine among HIV-negative and HIV-positive heterosexual men and women in England: (i) the prevalence of recreational drug use (including use of drugs associated with chemsex), (ii) socio-economic/lifestyle correlates of drug use, and (iii) the association of drug use with sexual behavior measures and mental health symptoms.

methodsData are from the AURAH study of HIV-negative individuals attending sexual health clinics across England (2013-2014) and the ASTRA study of HIV-positive individuals attending HIV outpatient clinics in England (2011-2012). Prevalence of recreational drug use (past three months) and associations are presented separately among the four sample groups: HIV-negative (N = 470) and HIV-positive (N = 373) heterosexual men and HIV-negative (N = 676) and HIV-positive (N = 637) women.

resultsThe age standardized prevalence of any drug use was 22.9%, 17.1%, 15.3%, and 7.1% in the four sample groups respectively. In all groups, cannabis was the drug most commonly used (range from 4.7% to 17.9%) followed by cocaine (1.6% to 8.5%). The prevalence of use of drugs associated with chemsex was very low among HIV-negative participants (1.0% heterosexual men, 0.2% women) and zero among HIV-positive men and women. In age-adjusted analysis, factors linked to drug use overall and/or to cannabis and cocaine use specifically in the four sample groups included Black/mixed Caribbean and white (vs. Black/mixed African) ethnicity, lower level of education , cigarette smoking, and higher risk alcohol consumption. Associations of recreational drug use with measures of condomless sex, depression, and anxiety were observed in the four groups, but were particularly strong/apparent among women.

conclusionProviders need to be aware of cannabis and cocaine use and its potential link with sexual risk behavior and symptoms of depression and anxiety among heterosexual men and women attending sexual health and HIV clinics.

Indexed as

HIV InfectionsPharmaceutical PreparationsSexual HealthCross-Sectional StudiesEnglandFemaleHeterosexualityHomosexuality, MaleHumansMaleRecreational Drug UseRisk-TakingSexual BehaviorSexual PartnersPharmaceutical PreparationsAnxietyChemsexDepressionHeterosexualRecreational drug useSexual behavior

Identifiers

PMID33494013
PMCPMC8188422
OpenAlexW3125126607

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.