“Chemsex is a particular type of sexualised substance practice amongst gay and bisexual men, other men who have sex with men, and trans and non-binary people who participate in gay hook-up culture” (European ChemSex Forum, 2018).

The most commonly used substances in this area include, mainly, GHB, mephedrone, methamphetamine, cocaine, ketamine, and poppers. The effects of some of these substances cause euphoria and excessive disinhibition, which in this sexual context can lead to certain extreme activities.

The available evidence shows that these practices are more frequent in certain subgroups of gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, particularly those with HIV, migrants, sex workers and PrEP users.

Not all people who engage in chemsex are aware they are experiencing negative consequences resulting from these practices. Neither do all people start from the same point, nor do they have the same pattern of drugs use. However, when these practices are intensified or become a regular habit, unwanted effects are more likely to appear or, worst case scenario, they may have a serious impact on their health.