High Risk Sexual Behavior among Men Who Use Meth

According to a study conducted in California it was found that heterosexual men are more likely to engage in high-risk sex if they use methamphetamine, or Meth. Meth usage is also associated with increased incidence of HIV infection among gay men.

But this study aims in the analyzing of the risk in straight men who consume Meth. Dr. C. S. Krawczyk, from the California Department of Health Services, and colleagues conducted the HEY-Man (Health Evaluation in Young Men) Study involving men between 18 and 35 years of age.

The participants were reported to have female sex partners exclusively during the preceding 6 months. Researchers interviewed 968 men residing in low-income neighborhoods of five northern California counties. The findings were that 58 men reported Meth use during the previous 6 months, 93 reported past Meth use but not during the preceding 6 months.

Recent Meth users are at a higher risk than previous Meth users in several categories, including anal sex (30% /12 %), having a casual or anonymous sex partner (65 % /44 %), multiple sex partners (57 % /26 %), having a partner who injected drugs during the preceding 6 months (11 % /2 %) and ever having received drugs or money for sex (16 % /4 %). The condom usage was also very low among the Meth users.

Hence before the situation becomes worse and goes out of hand the States should consider enhancing HIV and STD prevention and treatment programs to included assessment for Meth users.