Safer Chems

GMFA and sexual health centre Burrell Street join forces to provide gay men with advice to make their chems use safer. 

 

By Patrick Cash


Following the hospitalisation and subsequent death of a man in a gay sauna last week, gay men and chemsex have been all over the media. Although this man’s death has not been explicitly associated with chems, publications like the Evening Standard have been quick to print pieces mentioning in the same breath how three men died at the same sauna in 2012 from GHB overdoses.

Whether the latest, tragic death was related to chems or not, it’s ignited a debate across social media. Some are shrieking that saunas should be closed, others point to a deeper demon of chems and sex. But the sad fact that we can be certain of is that people, gay men – our gay men on our gay scene – are dying from drugs, and not because they visit a sauna.

So, it’s important news that gay men’s sexual health charity GMFA and sexual health centre Burrell Street have launched ‘Safer Chems’ this week. A campaign and web resource to reduce the harms of chemsex, it will provide information on safer dosing, safer sex, advice on how to stay in control of your sex life and emergency information (calling an ambulance, where to get PEP).

“What we wanted to do is present something different to the ‘just say no’ style of campaigns that are out there.”

‘What we wanted to do is present something different to the ‘just say no’ style of campaigns that are out there,’ says GMFA’s Campaigns Manager, Liam Murphy. ‘Someone who is having chemsex but still managing to maintain a career, friendships and a “normal” life outside of their weekend fun, may not identify with that message of danger.

‘We wanted to create a web resource that chemsexers can go to get more information about what they’re doing and make an informed decision about their own sex life and drug use. We want gay men to enjoy their sex life the way they want, but to also show it may affect their physical, sexual and mental health in the long-term. The campaign provides guidance to help men reduce their risks as well as support for men who want to cut down or stop their drug use.’

Burrell Street attests they wanted to get involved in the campaign after seeing a huge increase in gay men seeking PEP after chemsex, and that it has to take a realistic approach to the fact that chemsex is part of some men’s lives. And one of the best parts?

The campaign’s already been taken on by many saunas and clubs. Here’s to the organisations actively trying to reduce harm in gay men’s lives, and to stop tragic deaths.

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