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Nested Event-Level Case–Control Study of Drug Use and Sexual Outcomes in Multipartner Encounters Reported by Men Who Have Sex with Men

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Abstract

Previous event-level analyses have often, but not always, found significant associations between drug use and sexual risk behaviour in men who have sex with men (MSM), but these analyses have rarely considered either multipartner encounters specifically, or other sexual outcomes such as pleasure and control. Using data from an internet-based longitudinal survey of MSM, we tested the association between drug use by respondent and by partners and unprotected anal intercourse (UAI), pleasure and control over sexual activity. Overall respondent substance use was significantly associated with increased odds of UAI, though not with pleasure or control. Respondent use of crystal methamphetamine was significantly associated with both increased odds of UAI and decreased odds of control over sexual activity. This analysis agrees with previous studies of dyadic encounters, and specifically suggests that the association between crystal methamphetamine and sexual risk behaviour may be mediated by loss of control.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Bobby Pickering (Demographix), David Novak (Online Buddies Inc.) and all the men who took part in the Sigma Panel 2011. This work was supported by the Department of Health for England through the CHAPS programme. The survey was conducted with the approval of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine Ethics Committee (approval number 5834). Approval for this specific analysis was granted by the Department of Social Policy and Intervention Research Ethics Committee at the University of Oxford.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Social Policy and Intervention, University of Oxford, Barnett House, 32 Wellington Square, Oxford, OX1 2ER, UK

    G. J. Melendez-Torres

  2. Sigma Research, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, University of London, London, UK

    Ford Hickson, David Reid & Peter Weatherburn

  3. Social Science Research Unit, UCL Institute of Education, University College London, London, UK

    Chris Bonell

Authors
  1. G. J. Melendez-Torres
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  2. Ford Hickson
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  3. David Reid
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  4. Peter Weatherburn
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  5. Chris Bonell
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Correspondence to G. J. Melendez-Torres.

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Melendez-Torres, G.J., Hickson, F., Reid, D. et al. Nested Event-Level Case–Control Study of Drug Use and Sexual Outcomes in Multipartner Encounters Reported by Men Who Have Sex with Men. AIDS Behav 20, 646–654 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-015-1127-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-015-1127-6

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