RESEARCH ARTICLE


Toward a Better Understanding of Non-Addicted, Methamphetamine-Using, Men who Have Sex with Men (MSM) in Atlanta



Brian J Dew*
Georgia State University, Department of Counseling & Psychological Services, Atlanta, GA 30302-3980, USA


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Creative Commons License
© Brian J. Dew; Licensee Bentham Open.

open-access license: This is an open access article licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/) which permits unrestricted, non-commercial use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the work is properly cited.

* Address correspondence to this author at the Department of Counseling & Psychological Services; P.O. Box 3980, Atlanta GA 30302-3980, USA; Tel: 404 413-8168; Fax: 404 413-8013; E-mail: bdew@gsu.edu


Abstract

Methamphetamine use has increasingly become linked with sexual risk behaviors among men have sex with men (MSM). Yet, the majority of research has been done with methamphetamine dependent MSM or with samples in which addiction to the substance was not evaluated. Furthermore, research with methamphetamine-using MSM in the Southern U.S. is lacking. In this study, focus groups and in-depth interviews were conducted in order to understand the motives, context, and other facilitators and barriers of methamphetamine use among non-addicted MSM residing in Atlanta. Participants included 30 non-addicted, methamphetamine-using MSM and 16 local mental and public health officials. Findings from the first of this two-phase formative research project will result in the initial development of a community-tested, culturally-specific social marketing campaign and an individual-based intervention based in HIV-testing facilities.

Keywords: Methamphetamine, MSM, non-addicted users, social marketing campaign, drug use in Atlanta..