Article Text

Download PDFPDF

P067 Drug use during sex among dutch swingers and associated sexual risk behavior: a hidden phenomenon?
Free
  1. Ymke Evers1,
  2. Nicole Dukers-Muijrers1,
  3. Karlijn Kampman2,
  4. Geneviève Van Liere1,
  5. Jeanine Hautvast3,
  6. Femke Koedijk2,
  7. Christian Hoebe1
  1. 1Public Health Service South Limburg, Maastricht University Medical Center (MUMC), Sexual Health, Infectious Diseases and Environmental Health, Medical Microbiology, Care and Public Health Research Institute (CAPHRI), Heerlen, Netherlands
  2. 2Public Health Service Twente, Sexual Health, Twente, Netherlands
  3. 3Radboud University Medical Center, Primary and Community Care, Nijmegen, Netherlands

Abstract

Background Combining drugs and sex has been associated with an increased risk for sexually transmitted infections. Recently, there has been considerable interest in drug use during sex among men who have sex with men (‘chemsex’) in STI clinical practice, but data in swingers are lacking. Our study assessed the types of drugs used, and associated sexual risk behaviour, in swingers who are either bisexual male, heterosexual male or female.

Methods In 2018, 1005 participants completed an online questionnaire that was advertised at Dutch swinger-websites. Inclusion criteria were: swinging (heterosexual couples having sex with others or singles having sex with other heterosexual couples) and being aged ≥18 years. Drug use during sex was assessed and compared between heterosexual male, bisexual male, and female swingers using χ2-tests. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate possible factors (sociodemographics, alcohol, and condomless sex with swing partners) associated with drug use.

Results Drug use while swinging was reported by 44% (443/1005); 51% in women, 44% in bisexual men, and 39% in heterosexual men (p=0.007). Among drug-using swingers, XTC (92%;409/443), GHB (76%;338/443), and laughing gas (69%;304/443) were mostly used; 69% (305/443) used ≥4 different drugs (polydrug use). Condomless vaginal sex was reported by 46% in drug-using swingers (vs. 35% in non-drug-using swingers;p<0.001) and condomless anal sex by 30% in drug-using swingers (vs. 21% in non-drug-using swingers;p=0.012). Being a woman (aOR:2.10; 95%CI:1.36–3.09) and condomless vaginal sex (aOR:1.71; 95%CI:1.24–2.35) were independently associated with drug use.

Conclusion This study among a large group of swingers shows that drug use and polydrug use during sex are prevalent among both male and female swingers in the Netherlands, indicating that ‘chemsex’ is not only common among MSM. The association between drug use and sexual risk behaviour suggests that it might be useful to tailor STI prevention strategies, developed for MSM engaging in chemsex, for swingers.

Disclosure No significant relationships.

  • drug use

Statistics from Altmetric.com

Request Permissions

If you wish to reuse any or all of this article please use the link below which will take you to the Copyright Clearance Center’s RightsLink service. You will be able to get a quick price and instant permission to reuse the content in many different ways.