Sex with God?

I once asked a patient why so many men engage in sex with men while high on methamphetamines. He gave me this answer: It’s like having sex with God, and once you have sex with God why would you do it any other way? 

Interestingly, after talking to this patient I have had other discussions with men who use meth who say they are unable to get an erection while high, and that’s only one of many sexual problems they have while taking the drug. Since there’s a pretty big gulf between sex with God and a limp rod, I think it is reasonable to surmise that meth has a wide range of effects on its users. Whether or not it enhances or prohibits sexual enjoyment varies by individual. But no matter how using meth makes you feel during sexual activity, research indicates that using it leads to riskier sexual behaviors and reduced condom use – two behaviors that increase the risk of getting an STI.

Of course this article is not meant to discuss how meth use affects sexual intercourse, but rather to provide a little more insight into why people us the drug. Understanding is particularly important because meth use is one of the biggest driving forces behind the increasing STI rates in Salt Lake County’s gay community. In my discussions with patients, many men reveal they do not necessarily like the fact that they are using meth, and wish they had not started or wish they could stop. Many say that using has already interfered with their job or relationships or worry that it will in the future. Frequently these patients also admit that using meth negatively impacts their self-esteem. They would like to stop, they say, but they do not feel that a traditional treatment program is appropriate for them.

Keep in mind that what likely brought the client to me was testing positive for an STI or being exposed to such an infection through risky sex. In trying to identify ways to remain sexually healthy, the conversation often drifts toward the intersection between patients’ meth use and the STI they have acquired. Now while I am certainly not licensed therapist, I can also add that our conversations often drift toward an emotional recognition on the patient’s part. For example, she or he often realizes that meth and sexual addiction often become a destructive cycle: that meth use rapidly becomes an addiction and is often the fuel for sexually addictive behaviors.

The cycle is truly devastating when you consider the consequences. Antibiotic treatment for an STI, if that is even an option, provides only a temporary relief if the meth use continues – and if often does. Most clients will find themselves sitting in our clinic multiple times a year. It is truly heart-wrenching to see so many members of this community engaging in behaviors that are causing distress and having a negative impact on their self-esteem and overall health.

 Fortunately, there are professional services available to men who are engaging in risky behaviors related to sexual activity or drug use that go beyond the traditional treatment options. If you are interested in learning more about these services, please call the Salt Lake Valley Health Department at (801) 534-4601.