Study finds more
gay men are using meth

According to data collected by the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center, the number of gay men surveyed who are using crystal meth has jumped from 18% in 2005 to 25% in 2006, reports LAtimes.com.

The center tested 6,360 gay men last year for HIV and other STDs, and one out of four men reported having used the drug at least once. In 2005 the center tested 5,300 gay men. Gays who use crystal meth are five times more likely to test positive for HIV.

The center's manager for crystal meth recovery, Mike Rizzo, told the Times that meth is linked to HIV transmission because it lowers inhibitions, which may result in unsafe sex. Some people also use meth to cope with being infected with HIV. Rizzo said 43% of newly infected patients report some meth use.

The L.A. County Department of Public Health cited a 2005 study this week that said about one out of every 10 men who have sex with men reported using meth during a six-month period. This number is 20 times higher than among the general population, reports L.A. County public health director Jonathan Fielding. (The Advocate)