Club Drug Use Among Young Men Who Have Sex with Men in NYC: A Preliminary Epidemiological Profile

Abstract

This paper describes findings from a study of young men who have sex with men (YMSM) in New York City. Using a cross-sectional design and a community-based targeted sampling approach, a total of 569 YMSM were recruited during 2000 and 2001 for a structured survey interview. High rates of lifetime exposure to a variety of club drugs (including methamphetamine, ketamine, and MDMA) are observed in the overall sample. Among those who use club drugs on a chronic basis (N = 145), we found high rates of a prior suicide attempt (including high rates of multiple suicide attempts), high rates of lifetime exposure to multiple types of drugs, high rates of current poly drug use (including multiple types of club drugs), and high rates of current depressive symptoms. Chronic club drug users had a mean CES-D score of 8.5 and nearly two-thirds had a score of 7 or more. Although high rates of condom use are reported in some types of sexual exchanges, data show multiple types of sexual risk among chronic club drug users, including high rates of unprotected anal intercourse (UAI) with most frequent partners and comorbid drug use among both YMSM and their sexual partners.

Keywords:

• young men who have sex with men (YMSM)
• drug use
• HIV risk
• mental health
• club drugs
• circuit parties

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Michael C. Clatts

Michael C. Clatts, Ph.D., is a medical anthropologist whose principal area of interest is in community epidemiology and the development of community-based public health programs. Dr. Clatts is the Director of the Institute for International Research on Youth at Risk at National Development and Research Institutes, Inc. Dr. Clatts has conducted a number of ethno-epidemiological studies related to HIV risk in NYC, including studies of gay men, high risk youth, and drug users, in which he has integrated methods from field epidemiology and Anthropological Ethnography. In addition to his ongoing research in NYC, Dr. Clatts is initiating a NIDA-funded study of HIV risk among young injectors in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and also a study of HIV risk among migrant youth in China.

Lloyd A. Goldsamt

Lloyd A. Goldsamt, Ph.D., is Deputy Director of the Institute for International Research on Youth at Risk at NDRI; Principal Investigator of a NIDA-funded study looking at the HIV/HBV/HCV risks among new drug injectors, and Co-Investigator on a study of young injection drug users in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. He is also Principal Investigator on projects evaluating drug prevention programs in New York City public schools, and on a series of projects evaluating the training of Drug Court practitioners. Dr. Goldsamt has served as Co-Investigator on studies looking at HIV risk among injection drug users, youth, and men who have sex with men. Dr. Goldsamt is a licensed clinical psychologist in New York State.

Huso Yi

Huso Yi, Ph.D., is a Senior Research Associate of the Institute for International Research on Youth at Risk at NDRI. His primary research interests include HIV/AIDS and health disparities among ethnic and sexual minorities; the construction, formation, and/or development of sexual identities and their association with health; the cultural constructs and validity of sexualities in Korea; the mediators and moderators of the relation between sexuality, health, and rights.