Exploring the Association Between Indicators of Socioeconomic Instability, Survival Sex, and Methamphetamine Use Among Young Adult Black Gay, Bisexual, and Other Men Who Have Sex With Men: A Cross-Sectional Study.
Michael G Curtis, Marcus Reed, Antonio Newman and 5 others
PMID 37738524WHAT IT FOUND
For young Black gay and bisexual men experiencing homelessness, food insecurity was linked to engaging in survival sex, which in turn was linked to higher methamphetamine use.
Addressing basic needs like food and housing may help reduce substance use risks in this population.
Key findings
01Food insecurity was positively associated with greater engagement in survival sex.
02Increased engagement in survival sex was positively associated with increased methamphetamine use.
03Food insecurity was indirectly associated with increased methamphetamine use through survival sex engagement.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study used a single-item measure for homelessness, which may not capture the nuance of housing instability. The cross-sectional design prevents causal conclusions. The sample was recruited via nonprobability methods, limiting generalizability. Self-reported data are subject to recall and social desirability biases. The association between survival sex and meth use may be bidirectional.
Declared interests
The authors reported no real or perceived vested interests that could be construed as a conflict of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret these associations as causal. The cross-sectional design cannot determine whether food insecurity leads to survival sex and meth use, or if other factors are involved.