Word for Word

23 Feb 2015

ChemSex – David Stuart from London’s 56 Dean Street Clinic

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WARNING: This episode of Word For Word contains course language and conversations about drug use. Listener discretion is advised.

(Photo Credit: Wall to Wall Media)

For decades gay men and men who have sex with men (MSM) have used drugs to enhance sexual pleasure. Today, facilitated by social and sexual networking apps, injecting (also called ‘Slamming’, ‘Blasting’ or ‘Whacking’) drugs such as crystal methamphetamine in a sexual setting has become normalised and fetishized. ChemSex in private homes, in saunas or other sex-on-premises venues is on the rise. So too is new diagnoses of HIV amongst MSM who inject drugs.

David Stuart grew up in Melbourne and moved to London to work 30 years ago. Today he is at the forefront of the health sector response to ChemSex and works out of London’s famous 56 Dean Street Clinic. David uses a counselling technique known as “Motivational Interviewing” and was recently in Melbourne to advise the Victorian AIDS Council on how to respond to the local increase in ChemSex and HIV diagnoses.

(Photo: City of Minneapolis)

There is very little information available to MSM engaging in ChemSex and David Stuart’s recommendations include the production of resources that provide drug harm reduction information, access to gay-friendly drug services and sexual health services that understand the issues around ChemSex, co-ordinated work with managers of commercial sex-on-premises venues to develop harm reduction policies and procedures and engagement with commercial companies and gay media / apps to provide harm reduction as part of a corporate responsibility to their users.

David Stuart writes for FS Magazine. His recent article titled “ChemSex is not a drug problem – it’s a sex problem” saw a 50% increase in readership for the month it was published.

You can find him on twitter: @davidastuart