Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2007. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
United Press International- August 27, 2007
The findings, published in the AIDS Patient Care and STD, found participants who reported using methamphetamines were more likely to report inconsistent condom use during anal sex within the past three months, a history of STD infection, being HIV-positive and using medications designed to treat erectile dysfunction.
"Until now, there has been little data on meth use in the Southeast," lead author Scott D. Rhodes of Wake Forest University School of Medicine said in a statement. "Our findings, including that meth users were more likely to be HIV-positive, suggest that prevention, intervention and treatment efforts are urgently needed."
Meth is a highly addictive stimulant that has been found to impair judgment, decrease inhibition, increase impulsivity and enhance sexual sensitivity, which can all increase the potential for transmitting HIV, the researchers said.
The study is among the first to document meth use among men who have sex with men in the South, which carries a disproportionate HIV, AIDS, and STD burden -- with 46 percent of newly identified cases.
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