Drugs and Alcohol Today: Volume 19 Issue 1

A message from the guest editor of this special “Chemsex” edition of Drugs and Alcohol Today

Marcus Day

Chemsex: origins of the word, a history of the phenomenon and a respect to the culture

David Stuart

The purpose of this paper is to clarify the origins, use and meaning of the term “chemsex”.

Chemsex experiences: narratives of pleasure

Maitena Milhet, Jalpa Shah, Tim Madesclaire, Laurent Gaissad

The purpose of this paper is to understand the dynamics of pleasure related to chemsex from the perspective of French gay men and other men who have sex with men (MSM)…

Yes, has no meaning if you can’t say no: consent and crime in the chemsex context

Stephen Morris

The title of this paper is a statement made by a man at the end of his treatment following conviction for several sexual offences. It is powerful in conveying a simple and…

What is sober sex and how to achieve it?

Remziye Kunelaki

The purpose of this paper is to provide the first definition of sober sex and recommendations for health care professionals who work therapeutically with patients who struggle…

The psychological roots of chemsex and how understanding the full picture can help us create meaningful support

Katie Evans

The purpose of this paper is to explore the larger picture of chemsex in a hope to understand how to best work with clients therapeutically. The paper’s aim is to acknowledge not…

Too painful to think about: chemsex and trauma

Stephen Morris

Whilst chemsex is a relatively new phenomenon, trauma is not. Freud borrowed the word from physical medicine, where it was used to describe tissue damage, and applied it, for the…

The problematic chemsex journey: a resource for prevention and harm reduction

Tom Platteau, Roger Pebody, Nia Dunbar, Tim Lebacq, Ben Collins

Chemsex is a phenomenon that has gained increasing attention in recent years. The purpose of this paper is to differentiate chemsex from other sexualized substance use, and…