Academic Journal
Harm reduction gaps in sexualized drug use among gay and bisexual men living with HIV in Colombia.
| Τίτλος: | Harm reduction gaps in sexualized drug use among gay and bisexual men living with HIV in Colombia. |
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| Συγγραφείς: | Brisson J; Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Canada; Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Montreal, Canada. Electronic address: j.brisson@utoronto.ca., Doshi A; Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Canada., Castro-Arteaga M; Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Canada., Zea A; Mas Que Tres Letras, Medellín, Colombia., Perez-Brumer A; Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Canada. |
| Πηγή: | The International journal on drug policy [Int J Drug Policy] 2026 Jul; Vol. 153, pp. 105331. Date of Electronic Publication: 2026 May 09. |
| Τύπος έκδοσης: | Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't |
| Γλώσσα: | English |
| Στοιχεία περιοδικού: | Publisher: Elsevier Country of Publication: Netherlands NLM ID: 9014759 Publication Model: Print-Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1873-4758 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 09553959 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Int J Drug Policy Subsets: MEDLINE |
| Imprint Name(s): | Publication: 1998- : Amsterdam ; New York : Elsevier Original Publication: Liverpool, England : International Journal on Drug Policy |
| Ιατρικοί όροι (MeSH): | HIV Infections*/epidemiology , HIV Infections*/psychology , Homosexuality, Male*/psychology , Homosexuality, Male*/statistics & numerical data , Sexual and Gender Minorities*/statistics & numerical data , Sexual and Gender Minorities*/psychology , Substance-Related Disorders*/epidemiology , Substance-Related Disorders*/psychology , Harm Reduction*, Colombia/epidemiology ; Transients and Migrants/statistics & numerical data ; Venezuela/ethnology ; Adult ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Young Adult ; Chemsex ; Social Stigma |
| Περίληψη: | Background: Sexualized drug use among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (GBM) remains underexplored in Latin America. This study investigated perspectives on sexualized drug use among GBM living with HIV in Colombia, including Venezuelan migrants, through a harm-reduction lens. Methods: Between October 2024 and April 2025, we conducted semi-structured interviews with GBM living with HIV across Colombia. Thematic analysis was employed to identify patterns related to practices, meanings, and perceived health system responses to sexualized drug use among participants. Results: The sample included 66 participants (median age: 31 years), with a median year of HIV diagnosis of 2021. Over one-third of participants were Venezuelan migrants (n = 26). Three themes were identified: (1) Silences in care: sexualized drug use remained largely absent from HIV services, where stigma and fear of judgment constrained disclosure and hindered harm-reduction counseling; (2) Ambivalence and health concerns: participants acknowledged the role of substances in enhancing sexual pleasure while also expressing concerns regarding risks, dependence, and lack of credible health information; and (3) Cross-national contrasts: Venezuelan migrants described limited visibility of sexualized drug use in Venezuela compared to its greater reported normalization in Colombia, generating new vulnerabilities and challenges for migrants. Conclusions: As reported by participants, sexualized drug use is both culturally prevalent and under-acknowledged within Colombian HIV care for GBM. Stigma and silence surrounding these practices underscore the need for community-driven, non-judgmental harm-reduction strategies (e.g., peer education) that better reflect GBM's lived realities while supporting safer, more affirming approaches to health. (Copyright © 2026 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.) |
| Competing Interests: | Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Julien Brisson reports financial support was provided by Canadian Institutes of Health Research. Amaya Perez-Brumer reports financial support was provided by University of Toronto’s Sustainable Development Goals - Catalyst Grant Award. If there are other authors, they declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper. |
| Contributed Indexing: | Keywords: Bisexual; Colombia; Gay; Harm reduction; Sexualized drug use; Venezuela |
| Entry Date(s): | Date Created: 20260510 Date Completed: 20260611 Latest Revision: 20260620 |
| Update Code: | 20260621 |
| DOI: | 10.1016/j.drugpo.2026.105331 |
| PMID: | 42107256 |
| Βάση Δεδομένων: | MEDLINE |
| ISSN: | 1873-4758 |
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| DOI: | 10.1016/j.drugpo.2026.105331 |