Prevalence of chemsex and sexualized drug use among men who have sex with men: A systematic review and meta-analysis

IF 3.6 2区医学 Q1 PSYCHIATRY

Drug and alcohol dependence Pub Date : 2025-07-26 DOI:10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2025.112800

Nikolaos Georgiadis , Andreas Katsimpris , Maria A. Vatmanidou , Tonia Vassilakou , Apostolos Beloukas , Theodoros N. Sergentanis

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Background

Sexualized drug use (SDU), including chemsex, is prevalent within LGBTQI+ communities, particularly among men who have sex with men (MSM). This study conducts the first systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the global prevalence of SDU and chemsex among MSM.

Methods

A systematic search was performed in PubMed, Embase and Scopus with no language restrictions until April 1, 2024. We included studies that reported the prevalence of chemsex, overall SDU and SDU specifically regarding crystal methamphetamine, gamma hydroxybutyrate/ gamma butyrolactone (GHB/GBL), mephedrone, ketamine, cocaine, amphetamine, alkyl nitrites (poppers), ecstasy/MDMA and marijuana. Data were extracted independently by two researchers and analyzed using a random-effects model. Subgroup analyses were performed according to MSM population categories, region and time period of reporting.

Results

A total of 238 studies (380,505 participants) met inclusion criteria. The pooled prevalence of chemsex in MSM was 0.22 (95 % CI:0.19–0.25), while SDU had a pooled prevalence of 0.25 (95 % CI:0.23–0.28). Methamphetamine use for sex showed a pooled prevalence of 0.08 (95 % CI:0.07–0.10), GHB/GBL 0.13 (95 % CI:0.10–0.16), mephedrone 0.07 (95 % CI:0.05–0.10), and ketamine 0.04 (95 % CI:0.03–0.06). Cocaine use for sex demonstrated a pooled prevalence of 0.10 (95 % CI:0.08–0.13), alkyl nitrites 0.23 (95 % CI:0.19–0.27), amphetamine 0.05 (95 % CI:0.03–0.08), ecstasy/MDMA 0.09 (95 % CI:0.07–0.11), and marijuana 0.18 (95 % CI:0.15–0.20).

Conclusions

Our study demonstrates the high prevalence of chemsex and sexualized drug use among MSM, emphasizing the urgent need for comprehensive education on substance-related risks to encourage safer sex practices.

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男男性行为者中化学性行为和性化药物使用的患病率：一项系统回顾和荟萃分析

性化药物使用（SDU），包括化学性行为，在LGBTQI+群体中很普遍，特别是在男男性行为者（MSM）中。本研究首次进行了系统回顾和荟萃分析，以评估全球MSM中SDU和化学性的流行情况。方法系统检索PubMed、Embase和Scopus，截止到2024年4月1日，无语言限制。我们纳入了报告化学性、总体SDU和SDU患病率的研究，特别是关于晶体甲基苯丙胺、γ羟基丁酸酯/ γ丁内酯（GHB/GBL）、甲氧麻黄酮、氯胺酮、可卡因、安非他明、烷基亚硝酸盐（罂粟）、摇头丸/MDMA和大麻的SDU。数据由两名研究人员独立提取，并使用随机效应模型进行分析。根据MSM人群类别、地区和报告时间进行亚组分析。结果238项研究（380505名受试者）符合纳入标准。MSM中化学性的总患病率为0.22 (95% CI: 0.19-0.25)，而SDU的总患病率为0.25 （95% CI: 0.23-0.28）。为性目的使用甲基苯丙胺的总流行率为0.08 (95% CI:0.07 - 0.10)， GHB/GBL为0.13 (95% CI: 0.10-0.16)，甲氧麻黄酮为0.07 (95% CI: 0.05-0.10)，氯胺酮为0.04 （95% CI: 0.03-0.06）。为性目的使用可卡因的总流行率为0.10 (95% CI: 0.08-0.13)，烷基亚硝酸盐0.23 (95% CI: 0.19-0.27)，安非他明0.05 (95% CI: 0.03-0.08)，摇头丸/MDMA 0.09 (95% CI: 0.07-0.11)，大麻0.18 （95% CI: 0.15-0.20）。结论本研究表明，MSM中化学性行为和性化药物使用的发生率较高，强调迫切需要对药物相关风险进行全面教育，以鼓励安全性行为。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Drug and alcohol dependence 医学-精神病学

CiteScore

7.40

自引率

7.10%

发文量

409

审稿时长

41 days

期刊介绍： Drug and Alcohol Dependence is an international journal devoted to publishing original research, scholarly reviews, commentaries, and policy analyses in the area of drug, alcohol and tobacco use and dependence. Articles range from studies of the chemistry of substances of abuse, their actions at molecular and cellular sites, in vitro and in vivo investigations of their biochemical, pharmacological and behavioural actions, laboratory-based and clinical research in humans, substance abuse treatment and prevention research, and studies employing methods from epidemiology, sociology, and economics.