Factors associated with chemsex in Portugal during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Jeremias Salomão Chone, Shirley Verônica Melo Almeida Lima, Inês Fronteira and 4 others
PMID 34468628WHAT IT FOUND
Portuguese men who have sex with men reported chemsex in 20.2% during social distancing.
Group sex, condomless sex, using PrEP to prevent COVID-19, and COVID testing were associated with chemsex.
Key findings
0120.2% (n=263) of 1,301 men who have sex with men reported chemsex during social distancing; all reported casual sex and 44.9% did not use condoms.
02Group sex during quarantine was associated with 28 times higher likelihood of chemsex, and sex without condoms with 7.1 times higher likelihood.
03Men who reported PrEP as a way to prevent COVID-19 were 4.2 times more likely to engage in chemsex.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study was a one-time online survey, so it cannot show that chemsex caused SARS-CoV-2 infection or that any listed factor caused chemsex. Data were self-reported and participants were recruited through dating apps and social networks, so people with certain online habits or risk profiles may be overrepresented. It was conducted in Portugal during early pandemic restrictions, so the findings may not apply to other countries or later pandemic phases.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the 4.2 times association as proof that PrEP causes chemsex or protects against SARS-CoV-2. This was a one-time online survey of self-reported behaviour, so it shows association, not cause.