The human mind is something simple and complex at the same time. For example, on the one hand, it seems obvious that as a general rule people prefer to live healthily rather than be destroyed; but on the other hand, many very common behavior patterns are based on self-destruction. The consumption of drugs that have very harmful effects on many areas of the person is a clear example of this.
In the case of chemsex, two forms of self-destruction are intertwined: the taking of psychotropic substances that are harmful to health and, in addition, risky sexual behaviors. Taking this into account… What is it that makes many people engage in chemsex relatively frequently? Let’s see it.
As suggested by its name in English, chemsex consists of meetings of several people to have sex and consume drugs at the same time It is a social phenomenon that especially involves young, single homosexual men, with purchasing power that allows them to have access to various types of drugs, and who are sometimes accustomed to casual sex with strangers. Although chemsex encounters between heterosexual people have also occurred in certain cases, they are much less common.
Chemsex sessions can last several hours or even more than a day, emulating the type of experiences that occur at raves, which can go on so long that they even seem like a festival without interruptions. However, chemsex is not linked to a specific type of music; What characterizes it is the coincidence in time of sexual relations and group drug consumption.
On the other hand, as one of the characteristics of these experiences is the feeling of disarray and lack of control, there are few or no measures to prevent the contraction of STDs.
What drugs are most used in chemsex sessions?
To understand the motivations of people who like chemsex, it is important to know the type of drugs they take at these events, since it is these that shape what those who gather at them experience. The most common psychotropic substances in chemsex encounters are the following.
1. Methamphetamine
Methamphetamine is a very powerful psychostimulant whose effects can last more than six hours In addition, it can cause psychotic breaks, and since there are those who consume this drug intravenously, it is associated with the spread of HIV.
2. Ecstasy
It is a psychostimulant known to generate a feeling of euphoria, joy, and in many cases, sexual arousal.
3. Poppers
The popper has been a widely used drug in communities of homosexual men for years, and It has psychological effects similar to MDMA In the case of chemsex encounters, it is considered a “light” substance compared to other harder drugs.
4. Cocaine
Cocaine is the most consumed illegal psychostimulant in the world, and therefore it is normal for it to be present in chemsex encounters.
There is not a single cause that leads some people to be interested in the chemsex experience, but rather a combination of several. Here we review the most common and important ones.
1. Belonging to an urban subculture linked to homosexuality
Some young men approach chemsex considering it a kind of ritual typical of an urban subculture, a hallmark that defines those who participate in it This is intensified by the fact that participants share the risk of having their health compromised by drug use or by contracting STDs.
2. Need to alienate oneself from sex due to the stigma of homosexuality
Many gay men have a very problematic relationship with their own sexuality due to the social stigma of not being heterosexual. This implies that a context in which sexual desire is satisfied while drugs are consumed offers a moral alibi for not feeling rejection towards oneself, given that self-esteem has been damaged by decades of labeling people as “unnatural” or “immoral”. “sex between men.
3. Social isolation
Many homosexual men have serious problems when it comes to maintaining a circle of friends and acquaintances who are homosexual due to the fear of “coming out”, and therefore, They feel socially isolated because they cannot spend time with people who have certain things in common with them In these situations, they go to chemsex meetings because in them it is considered normal to interact with many homosexual people at the same time without even knowing them.
4. Drug addiction
We must not forget that the simple fact of having access to a wide variety of drugs in a matter of minutes or a few hours is sufficient incentive for people who have developed an addiction. The situation worsens when people get used to taking several substances in combination something that is unfortunately very common in chemsex encounters.
Finally, chemsex is seen by some people as the definitive way to escape from the real world, since it offers such a quantity of stimuli at the same time that it “clogs” the memory, making it very difficult to continue feeding obsessive thoughts, worries, etc.
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