Date : 2023-09-15

Venue : Online

Exploring the role of trauma in underpinning sexualised drug use (‘chemsex’) among gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men in Singapore

• Date: 04 October 2023 (Wed)
• Time: 12:00 - 13:15 HK Time
• Venue: ONLINE ONLY
• Registration: https://shorturl.at/jnqP8

Abstract

Sexualised drug use (SDU) has been identified as a major risk factor for HIV, as well as other mental health comorbidities among gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM). We conducted in-depth interviews with 33 purposively-sampled GBMSM with a history of SDU, and seeking treatment for it in Singapore. Participants firstly articulated the positive and desired aspects of SDU. Participants also described how SDU, in contrast, was used as a coping mechanism to deal with emotional and situational ‘precipitants’. Participants also articulated how such precipitants were underpinned by experiences of trauma, including those relating to HIV-related stigma, racism, sexual violence, death and loss, neglect, as well as internalised homophobia. Next, participants illustrated how such trauma were reinforced by ‘preconditions’, including the accessibility of substances, emphasis on sexual capital, and lack of access to mainstream support structures in the gay male community, alongside general barriers to care.

Speaker's Biography

Dr Rayner Kay Jin Tan received his PhD from the Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health and trained as a postdoctoral fellow at the University of North Carolina Project China. He is currently a visiting research fellow at Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore, and a visiting research fellow at National Centre for Infectious Diseases in Singapore. Dr Tan has a background in Sociology and is a sociobehavioral researcher by training. His research interests revolve broadly about the social determinants of health, health of vulnerable and minority populations, sexual health and mental health.