HIV Risk Behaviors Among Gay Male Methamphetamine Users: Before and After Treatment

SUMMARY Methamphetamine-using gay men are at high risk for HIV transmission, largely due to the high-risk sexual risk behaviors they engage in while using the drug. Gay men who use the drug frequently report that it enables them to have intense, long-lasting sexual encounters. Substance abuse treatment interventions that target both substance use and sexual behavior have been successful in helping gay men reduce their sexual risks including: reducing the number of sexual partners, reducing the frequency of unprotected anal intercourse, and reducing frequency of public sex encounters. Such treatments have the potential to curtail the spread of HIV and other sexually-transmitted infections (STIs), while simultaneously treating the substance abuse disorder.