Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Club Drug Use, Situational Club Drug Use during Sex, and Sexual Risk Behaviors among Alcohol-Using Men Who Have Sex with Men (MSM) in San Francisco

Abstract

Background

Club drug use—including 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine, ketamine, crack/cocaine, hallucinogens, gamma hydroxybutyrate, volatile nitrites, and methamphetamine—has been linked to sexual risk behaviors among MSM. Few studies examine how the use of club drugs and the association between club drug use during sex and sexual risk may differ by race/ethnicity.

Methods

Using data from a cross-sectional study among alcohol-using MSM in San Francisco (n = 252), we examined the associations between the interaction of race/ethnicity and club drug use during sex, and the following behavioral outcomes: any condomless anal intercourse (CAI), insertive CAI, receptive CAI, and any serodiscordant sex in the past six months. All models controlled for income, HIV status, relationship status, age, and current use of a biomedical HIV prevention tool (i.e., Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis [PrEP] or antiretroviral therapy).

Results

There were significant racial differences in club drug use (p < 0.001) and club drug use during sex (p = 0.01). Asian/Pacific Islander (API) and Latino participants reported using club drugs the most at 78.8% and 79%, respectively. Among users of club drugs, club drug use during sex was most common among Black (100%), and Latino MSM (93%). Significant interactions between race/ethnicity and club drug use during sex were observed for CAI (p = 0.02), insertive CAI (p = 0.01), and receptive CAI (p = 0.01). API participants who used club drug during sex had higher odds of reporting CAI (aOR = 15.27, CI = 1.50–155.34), insertive CAI (aOR = 21.11, CI = 2.04–218.10), and receptive CAI (aOR = 21.11, CI = 2.04–218.10).

Conclusions

Given the differing rates of club drug use during sex by race/ethnicity and the role race/ethnicity plays in modifying the relationships between club drug use during sex and sexual risk behaviors, culturally-tailored interventions may be needed to address the needs of ethnically-diverse, club drug-using MSM.

Keywords:

• Club drugs
• HIV risk
• MSM
• racial/ethnic disparities

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This study is funded by a grant from the National Institutes of Health, Office of the Director (grant # DP5OD019809).