Young Gays Are More Likely To Take Drugs
December 30, 2007
New York City) Two new studies suggest that the use of so-called party drugs is more prevalent among young gay men than their straight counterparts.
The first study was of 3,492 men aged between 15 and 22 who had sex with other men. It found that almost one in three used substances such as crystal meth, ecstasy, marijuana or cocaine at least once a week. A further two-thirds had used drugs during the previous six months.
The lifetime use of cocaine among gay men was nearly double the level among heterosexuals.
“Effective gay drug addiction prevention and gay drug rehab programs … are urgently needed for young men who have sex with men, a population with a high rate of illicit drug use,” the report concludes.
The results of the four year study appear in the American Journal of Public Health.
The second study was done in the UK and examined the mental health and social well being of more than 2,200 gay men, lesbians, heterosexuals and bisexuals in England and Wales.
The report, published in Mind, said: “Levels of substance-use disorders were higher among gay men and lesbians, who were more likely than their heterosexual counterparts to have used recreational drugs.”
The research backs up suspicions that LGBT healthcare workers have had for a number of years. Previous research studies have shown a link between the use of party drugs and unsafe sex (story).
Lesbian and Gays Still Alcoholic
December 10, 2007
Do LGBTIQ people have more alcohol problems than heterosexuals?
Studies from the 1970s and 1980s led many to the conclusion that rates of alcoholism were higher among LGBTIQ people than in the overall population-sometimes citing rates of alcoholism in the LGBTIQ population as 30%.
However, most of these studies were seriously flawed, drawing participants from gay bars and other locations in which people who drink are overrepresented.
More recent and reliable studies have been conflicting, but there is some evidence that LGBTIQ youth and possibly LGBTIQ adults have more alcohol problems than the overall population.
Crystal Meth Addiction and Gay Men
October 12, 2007
Breaking the Grip: Treating Crystal Meth
Addiction Among Gay and Bisexual Men
Recent studies indicate wide usage of crystal methamphetamine by gay and bisexual men. Many healthcare providers, however, are not well equipped to recognize crystal meth use by their gay and bisexual male patients and lack sufficient knowledge about treatment options and how best to refer these patients to culturally competent treatment programs. For this reason, GLMA is currently conducting a study entitled Breaking the Grip: Treating Crystal Meth Addiction Among Gay and Bisexual Men, that is examining crystal meth use in the gay and bisexual male community.
A central part of GLMA’s mission is to ensure that all healthcare providers have the skills they need to provide culturally competent care to LGBT patients. Through Breaking the Grip, we seek to disseminate unbiased information about the risks of crystal meth use and to equip healthcare providers to recognize crystal use among their gay and bisexual male patients and to be able to refer these patients to appropriate care.
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