TY - JOUR
T1 - Chemsex among men who have sex with men during the Mpox health crisis in Brazil
T2 - a nationwide web survey
AU - Santos, Guilherme Reis de Santana
AU - Ribeiro, Caíque Jordan Nunes
AU - Lima, Shirley Verônica Melo Almeida
AU - Neto, João Cruz
AU - de Sousa, Anderson Reis
AU - Bulcao, Carolina da Silva
AU - Dellagostini, Pedro Gabriel
AU - Batista, Odinea Maria Amorim
AU - de Oliveira, Layze Braz
AU - Mendes, Isabel Amélia Costa
AU - de Sousa, Álvaro Francisco Lopes
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was supported by Coordena\u00E7\u00E3o de Aperfei\u00E7oamento de Pessoal de N\u00EDvel Superior 001\u20102023 and Funda\u00E7\u00E3o Ci\u00EAncia e Tecnologia, IP national support UIDP/04923/2020.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 The Authors. Public Health Nursing published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.
PY - 2024/5/1
Y1 - 2024/5/1
N2 - Objective: To understand the factors associated with the practice of chemsex among MSM in Brazil, especially during the Mpox health crisis, and to design effective prevention and intervention strategies specifically for this population. Design: A cross-sectional and analytical study using an electronic survey, conducted from September to December 2022, during the peak of the Mpox outbreak in Brazil. Sample: A total of 1452 MSM aged 18 and older. Measurements: Data were collected via the REDCap platform through a survey with 46 questions. These addressed demographic data, sexual affiliations, practices, experiences with Mpox, healthcare service usage, and stigma or fear related to Mpox. Results: The prevalence of chemsex was 19.42% (n = 282). Multivariate Poisson modeling indicated a high incidence of chemsex among those diagnosed with Mpox and those involved in high-risk behaviors. The practice of chemsex was six times higher among those diagnosed with Mpox (95% CI: 4.73–9.10). MSM who engage in bugchasing had a prevalence twice that of the main outcome (95% CI: 1.31–3.16). Conclusion: There is a significant need for targeted interventions for MSM in Brazil, especially given the Mpox outbreak. This study highlights the strong relationships between chemsex, experiences with Mpox, and various sexual behaviors, underscoring the importance of effective public health initiatives.
AB - Objective: To understand the factors associated with the practice of chemsex among MSM in Brazil, especially during the Mpox health crisis, and to design effective prevention and intervention strategies specifically for this population. Design: A cross-sectional and analytical study using an electronic survey, conducted from September to December 2022, during the peak of the Mpox outbreak in Brazil. Sample: A total of 1452 MSM aged 18 and older. Measurements: Data were collected via the REDCap platform through a survey with 46 questions. These addressed demographic data, sexual affiliations, practices, experiences with Mpox, healthcare service usage, and stigma or fear related to Mpox. Results: The prevalence of chemsex was 19.42% (n = 282). Multivariate Poisson modeling indicated a high incidence of chemsex among those diagnosed with Mpox and those involved in high-risk behaviors. The practice of chemsex was six times higher among those diagnosed with Mpox (95% CI: 4.73–9.10). MSM who engage in bugchasing had a prevalence twice that of the main outcome (95% CI: 1.31–3.16). Conclusion: There is a significant need for targeted interventions for MSM in Brazil, especially given the Mpox outbreak. This study highlights the strong relationships between chemsex, experiences with Mpox, and various sexual behaviors, underscoring the importance of effective public health initiatives.
KW - chemsex
KW - global health
KW - high-risk behaviors
KW - men's health
KW - monkeypox
KW - pandemics
KW - sexual and gender minorities
KW - sexual behavior
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85189495977&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1111/phn.13308
DO - 10.1111/phn.13308
M3 - Article
C2 - 38528749
AN - SCOPUS:85189495977
SN - 0737-1209
VL - 41
SP - 589
EP - 601
JO - Public Health Nursing
JF - Public Health Nursing
IS - 3
ER -
