No matter what you call it, crystal meth is a killer in our community. Crystal meth is known under the street names of Tina, crank, speed, and tweek. It is an amphetamine that stimulates the brain and the central nervous system. The drug can be snorted, swallowed, smoked, injected, or inserted into the anus. Crystal meth often causes the following effects in users: increased desire for sex and ability to perform; heightened energy and physical stamina, often allowing users to have sex, dance, or participate in other physically strenuous activities for extended periods of time; and loss of inhibitions, causing many users to engage in sexually risky behavior in which they would not normally participate, such as sex without condoms, very rough sex, or sex with multiple partners at once or throughout the course of their "high."

One of the many pitfalls of crystal meth, disguised as a benefit, is that it is much cheaper than other hard drugs like cocaine that produce similar results. Also, crystal meth highs tend to last much longer than other highs, greatly extending the time during which users are prone to risky sexual behaviors. Although crystal meth leads to prolonged periods of euphoria that can seem like a dream come true, coming down or "crashing" can be a nightmare. Users coming off a high often experience severe anxiety, irritability, and depression. Crystal meth overdoses can be deadly, including violent vomiting, difficulty with or inability to breathe, convulsions, heart attacks, and strokes. Continued crystal meth usage often leads to neurological damage, chronic depression and anxiety, temporary psychosis, liver and kidney damage, skin damage, severe weight loss, and even death. Crystal meth is highly addictive. Addiction may manifest itself through everyday usage or through periods of binging.

What makes gay men so susceptible to the temptations of crystal meth? According to various research studies, there are solid answers to this seemingly nebulous question. First, crystal meth is a relatively inexpensive drug, especially compared to other substances that induce similar effects for many times more the cost. Also, the drug quickly permeated the club scene, especially all-night rave parties, making it readily available to many gay men with a propensity toward partying, allowing them to stay awake for extended periods of time and increasing their physical stamina during dancing and sex. Peer pressure in these situations has been identified as another factor that can lead to experimentation with and dependency on the drug. Also, numerous studies have concluded that gay men, due to social pressures and prejudice, tend to experience highly inflated rates of depression, anxiety, loneliness, and self-esteem and body image issues. It is common knowledge that many people, homosexual and heterosexual, turn to drugs to self-medicate their own insecurities and psychological shortcomings. And since crystal meth increases energy, HIV-positive men have reported that the drug allows them to function throughout the day and continue clubbing and frequent sexual encounters despite the toll taken on their bodies and energy levels by the disease.

Crystal meth is particularly dangerous to the gay male community because it has contributed to an increase in HIV infection. The drug results in a very dangerous combination of increased sex drive and lack of inhibition. Many users find that they can stay erect and perform sexually for hours, while some users report an inability to achieve or maintain an erection. To counter this problem, many affected users combine crystal meth with Viagra or other sexual enhancement drugs. This combination in and of itself can lead to medical complications, including increased heart rate, high blood pressure, and even death. The plague of crystal meth is considered one of the largest factors in the recent increase of HIV infection among gay men, a rate that had been declining for some time. Various studies have concluded definitively that crystal meth use has a direct correlation to increased HIV infection rates in gay men, since the drug impairs judgment in sexual encounters, leading to unprotected sex, sex with multiple partners, rougher sex, and performing as the receptive partner during intercourse even when one normally performs as the active partner.

Among this sea of statistics and information, one question begs an answer. What can be done to stem the tide of crystal meth usage among gay men? The LGBT community has recognized this epidemic and is responding through various programs and organizations, including Crystal Meth Anonymous (CMA) and the Crystal Meth Task Force (CMTF). I am particularly impressed with the work of the CMTF, who popularized the slogan "Meth Equals Death." The organization has various local chapters throughout the country, including one in Philadelphia. One especially remarkable aspect of the CMTF is its diligent attempt to educate gay crystal meth addicts on their own turf, at clubs, bars, and raves. CMTF members frequently distribute literature and condoms to partiers, as well as face-to-face education and referrals for counseling and medical help. CMTF members have even demonstrated outside clubs with picket signs that denounce crystal meth as the ferocious killer it is. Many CMTF members are former addicts themselves who know all too well the dangers of the drug. They have lost their money, their health, and their friends to the drug or HIV infection acquired while under the influence of the drug. In addition to educating gay men (and all people) about crystal meth addiction, we must fight social pressures and prejudice that lead to our negative self-images and internalized homophobia in the first place.

Sources for this article include www.crystalmethtaskforce.com; the website for the Philadelphia chapter of the Crystal Meth Task Force at meth2death.org; and the website for the Gay Men’s Health Crisis at www.gmhc.org.