Response to GHN commentary: No-Fear Chemsex Parties

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The below is a Letter to the Editor published in Global Health News, a publication of the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. I regularly enjoy the information put out by this group and encourage my colleagues and students to subscribe, but was quite disappointed by a recent commentary they published, screenshot here, commentary below:


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While the featured phenomenon may seem exciting on the surface, its spirit perpetuates harmful tropes about MSM as being promiscuous, and people on PrEP even more so. Condomless sex is not unique to same-sex intercourse and STI rates nationwide have been increasing for years. In fact, we know many folks on PrEP have condomless sex since that is one of the CDC's clinical indications for PrEP. Frequent STI testing in PrEP programs means detecting more STIs, which is a good thing. PrEP is controversial enough within and outside of the LGBT community; stigma and shame make it even harder to come into care.

Some of my clients were too scared to date or have sex before starting PrEP, so I choose to celebrate their newfound freedom from fear, center our relationship on providing quality sexual health care, and focus on their sense of wellbeing – whatever that may be for them.

 (Side note: The published commentary did not include the links that are included here.) 

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