ArticleAIDS and behavior2025
High Rates of Drug Use and Chemsex Among PrEP Users and People with HIV in Milan Highlight Need for Targeted Interventions.
Article in AIDS and behavior, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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.
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.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
14 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Chemsex, the use of psychostimulant substances during sexual activity particularly among men who have sex with men (MSM), is a growing public health concern. This study aimed to assess drug use, engagement in chemsex, and related knowledge among pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) users and people with HIV (PWH) attending two sexually transmitted infection (STI) services in Milan, Italy. An anonymous online survey was conducted between January and March 2024 at a hospital-based clinic and a community-based center. The questionnaire explored demographics, HIV/PrEP status, drug use, chemsex, its disclosure to healthcare providers, and perceptions of drug use trends. Among 420 respondents, of whom 365 (84%) PrEP-users and 55 (13%) PWH, 167 (40%) reported current drug use and 68 (16%) engaging in chemsex. Polydrug use was also common (96/167, 57%). Commonly used substances included cocaine (50/167, 30%), mephedrone (45/167, 27%), 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (36/167, 22%), gamma-hydroxybutyrate/gamma-butyrolactone (33/167, 20%) and ketamine (29/167, 17%). The use of methylenedioxypyrovalerone (25/167, 15%) and crystal methamphetamine (10/167, 6%) was also consistent. Of the drug users, 62 (37%) did not disclose their substance use to healthcare providers, frequently citing lack of inquiry by clinicians or the perception that disclosure was not relevant. A total of 223/420 (53%) respondents knew people who used substances, and of these, 90.6% (202) perceived an increase in substance use within their community. In conclusion, the study revealed high rates of drug use and chemsex in Milan underscoring the need for increased healthcare provider awareness, and stigma-free environments to support risk reduction for chemsex users.
Indexed as
Identifiers
40484885What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
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.