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Injecting drug use among gay and bisexual men in Sydney: prevalence and associations with sexual risk practices and HIV and hepatitis C infection

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Abstract

Injecting drug use is commonly reported among gay and bisexual men in Australia. We examined the prevalence and covariates of injecting drug use among men participating in the Sydney Gay Community Periodic Survey between 2004–06 and 2011. In 2004–06, data was collected about which drugs were injected, while in 2011, data was collected about hepatitis C (HCV) and esoteric sexual practices. In 2004–06, 5.6 % of men reported injecting drugs in the previous 6 months; 3.4 % reported methamphetamine injection and 0.4 % heroin injection. In 2011, men who injected drugs were less likely to be employed full-time, and more likely to be HCV-positive, HIV-positive, to have used party drugs for sex, and to have engaged in esoteric sexual practices. The strong associations between injecting drug use, sexual risk practices and blood-borne virus infection suggests the need for combined sexual health and harm reduction services for gay and bisexual men who inject drugs.

Resumen

Por lo general, en Australia, se suele registrar un alto índice de prevalencia de consumo de drogas por vía intravenosa entre hombres homosexuales y bisexuales. En el presente estudio, se analizaron la prevalencia y las covariables del consumo de drogas intravenosas entre los hombres homosexuales y bisexuales que participaron en la Encuesta periódica de la comunidad homosexual de Sídney (Sydney Gay Community Periodic Survey) entre 2004–06 y 2011. Los datos del período 2004–06 incluyen información específica sobre qué drogas fueron consumidas por vía intravenosa, mientras que en 2011 se recolectaron datos específicos sobre hepatitis C (VHC) y prácticas sexuales esotéricas. En 2004–06, el 5,6 % de los hombres consultados dijo haber consumido drogas intravenosas durante los últimos seis meses, de los cuales el 3,4 y el 0,4 % refirió el consumo de metanfetaminas y heroína por vía intravenosa, respectivamente. En 2011, el 5,0 % de los participantes dijo haber consumido drogas intravenosas durante los últimos seis meses. En 2011, dichos consumidores tenían menos probabilidades de poseer un trabajo de tiempo completo y más probabilidades de presentar VHC positivo y VIH positivo, de haber consumido drogas recreacionales para tener relaciones sexuales y de haber participado en prácticas sexuales esotéricas. La estrecha relación existente entre el consumo de drogas intravenosas, las prácticas sexuales de riesgo y las infecciones víricas de transmisión hemática sugiere la necesidad de implementar servicios combinados de salud sexual y de reducción del daño para hombres homosexuales y bisexuales consumidores de drogas intravenosas.

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Acknowledgments

Thank you to the men who participated in the Sydney GCPS, the community organisations who made the recruitment possible, and the state and territory health departments who funded the surveys. The National Centre in HIV Social Research and the Kirby Institute are supported by the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Centre in HIV Social Research, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia

    Toby Lea, Limin Mao, John de Wit & Martin Holt

  2. NSW Users & AIDS Association (NUAA), Sydney, NSW, Australia

    Nicky Bath

  3. The Kirby Institute, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia

    Garrett Prestage & Iryna Zablotska

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  1. Toby Lea
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  2. Limin Mao
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Correspondence to Toby Lea.

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Lea, T., Mao, L., Bath, N. et al. Injecting drug use among gay and bisexual men in Sydney: prevalence and associations with sexual risk practices and HIV and hepatitis C infection. AIDS Behav 17, 1344–1351 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-013-0409-0

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