Chemsex among HIV-infected patients - Experience from a tertiary care hospital in Poland. Preliminary data

Abstract

Introduction: Chemsex describes the growing phenomenon of intentional usage of psychoactive substances before or during sex. There are concerns that this practice is increasing in popularity among men who have sex with men (MSM), especially those living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and that it might lead to an increase in sexually transmitted infections (STIs). The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of chemsex among patients with HIV, treated at a tertiary care department in Warsaw, Poland. Material and methods: The study enrolled 50 patients with HIV treated in a tertiary care facility in Poland. All subjects underwent a survey including 21 questions focusing on drug usage, number of sexual contacts after drugs, and the presence of STIs. The survey was carried out by the Department of Infectious and Tropical Diseases and Hepatology, the Medical University of Warsaw. The data was collected between the 10th of January and the 10th of April 2019. This article presents preliminary data. Results: The study included 50 men, with median age 39.5 years (27-71). Out of the 50 patients 31 (62%) who responded to the questionnaire were MSM, 24 patients (48%) declared participating in chemsex, and 50% of this group (12/24) have had unprotected sex during chemsex. Of the drug users 37.5% (9/24) had acquired an STI other than HIV. Conclusions: Our study showed that chemsex is a rising problem even among regularly monitored patients. The fact that 48% of patients participating in the study admitted to participating in chemsex shows that more attention should be drawn to this subject, with special attention towards MSM. Questions about drug usage and chemsex should be part of physicians' every day care of patients with HIV in order to prevent morbidities associated with drug intake.