Gay ‘Chemsex’ Linked To Rise in HIV Cases in Europe

2019-09-19

Chemsex parties, when people get high and have sex for days with a number of partners is gaining popularity in Europe, which has led to a rapid spread of HIV.

During chemsex, people use drugs such as crystal meth to enhance their arousal and pleasure, NBC News reported. Rusi Jaspal, a professor of psychology and sexual health at De Montfort University in the Britain who studies the spread of HIV and the chemsex scene, says the mix of drugs and sex increases the spread of viruses in groups subject to HIV, like the gay community.

“People are not scared anymore of HIV,” Ignacio Labayen de Inza, a chemsex expert who works at U.K. clinics said, according to NBC News. “Many people I see say they think ‘it’s only a matter of time anyway, so I might as well have some fun.'”

In a U.K. study, 30 percent of HIV positive men surveyed said they had participated in chemsex in the past year.