Health outcomes of and interventions to reduce methamphetamine use among men who have sex with men

Key take-home messages

• Men who have sex with men who use methamphetamine are more likely to have multiple sexual partners (1–3) and are more likely to engage in condomless anal intercourse (2, 4–7) compared to men who have sex with men who do not use methamphetamine.
• Use of methamphetamine is associated with higher rates of HIV infection (8-13) and syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia (2, 11, 14–16) among men who have sex with men.
• Men who have sex with men who use substances appear to be just as or more likely to use HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) (17), but adherence may not be consistent (17–19).
• Laboratory studies suggest that HIV disease progression and methamphetamine use are correlated (20–22); however, the direct effects of methamphetamine use on HIV pathogenesis are poorly understood (23).
• Several pharmacological, psychosocial and harm-reduction interventions to reduce the harms associated with methamphetamine use were identified; psychosocial interventions (e.g. contingency management, motivational interviewing and cognitive and behavioural therapy) appear to hold the most promise (24).
• No current interventions to prevent the initiation of methamphetamine use among men who have sex with men were identified.

• Population(s)
  • Men who have sex with men
  • People who use drugs
  • General HIV- population
• Prevention, Engagement and Care Cascade
  • Prevention
• Prevention
  • Sexual risk behaviour
  • Drug use behaviours/harm reduction
  • Biomedical interventions
• Substance Use
  • Nonmedicinal drugs
• Co-infections
  • Chlamydia
  • Gonorrhea
  • Syphilis