Abstract #275  -  Crystal Mess: The damage crystal methamphetamine is doing to gay men.
Authors:   Presenting Author:   Ms Flick Thorley - CNWL Mental health Trust
Additional Authors:
Aim: To raise awareness of the damage being caused by the increasing use of crystal meth in the gay population in urban areas and to look at the impact of the subsequent behaviours on their physical and mental health, relationships, employment and social environments. To encourage discussion and reflection in a workshop setting, looking at the increasing incidence of HIV and Hep C and exploring the contributory factor of crystal meth.
Method / Issue: Crystal meth has historically been a drug associated with poverty and crime. Due to the epidemiological changes in who is accessing the drug, a significant rise in HIV and Hep C is being seen in gay men accessing HIV and GUM clinics. Club or 'party' drugs have long been associated with the gay scene and many people have used them. Crystal meth appears to be affecting people differently and it is associated with unsafe, marathon sex with multiple partners. It can also have a dramatic impact on mental health with people presenting in acute psychotic states with paranoid and persecutory delusions which are difficult to treat.
Results / Comments: At Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, we are seeing an increasing number of HIV+ men with Hep C and acute psychiatric problems. Many gay men do not appear to want to access generic mental health or drug services as they do not see themselves as having mental health problems or having the same issues as heroin/methadone users even though the effects on their lives can be similar.
Discussion: We will be looking at a number of cases and discuss the issues in depth in a workshop. We will be looking at the historical context of the use of crystal meth, how it is manufactured and why it is such a 'hit' with gay men. We want to look at how we can manage these issues safely and effectively in HIV clinics. .
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