Drug use and sexuality are inseparable from communities that are marginalized, that may have an internalized homophobia, a shame he begins to frame the scene. The drug allows us to remove shame, taboos and feelings of rejection and to explore a sexuality that seems very unbridled and very free.
The problem is that Eric’s early experiences quickly developed an addiction to crystal meth, a drug popular with chemsex enthusiasts that gave him a sense of omnipotence.
“I felt like the lover I always dreamed of,” he says. I’ve had many partners and hours of sex. It’s not normal at all, but it’s intoxicating.
Only moments of grace were followed by much darker episodes.
“I didn’t choose to quit, I didn’t have a choice, I probably wouldn’t be here today if I hadn’t quit. »
– A quote from Éric, a former chemsex enthusiast
The drug’s side effects affected his physical and mental health. He has completely lost sight of his social life and plans. Many times he tried to break free from addiction on his own, but with little success.
Aware that he would not be able to get out on his own, Éric finally found the courage to overcome the shame and dare to speak up and get help. It was nine years before he turned the page.
André started chemsex at the age of 51.
Photo: Radio Canada / Vincent Rességuier
Everything that goes up eventually comes down
Others, like André, have learned through pain to soften over time. He discovered chemsex at the age of 51 and it was almost 10 years before he gained any control.
He was never addicted to any substance, but his chemsex practice has spilled over into other areas of his life, most notably his professional career, which has thrived nonetheless.
Like many followers, he indulged in sex marathons at the weekend. He multiplied the number of partners one would normally meet in the saunas of Montreal’s gay village.
It’s intense, you become a sex machine, he says. But on Wednesday you’re depressed, that’s the dangerous thing.
Today, when he breathes zest for life, he has been overcome by suicidal thoughts several times, not to mention the panic attacks that have led him straight to the emergency room. In order to break this vicious circle, André undertook four therapies in particular and took part in anonymous crystal meth meetings. Without success.
“Once you reach nirvana, you cannot go back to normal sexuality. »
— A quote from André, Chemsex enthusiast
Crystal meth increases dopamine levels five times that of orgasm, says Marie-Ève Morin, a family doctor who specializes in mental health and addiction. The euphoria increases tenfold, these people reach heights of pleasure.
Only that everything that goes up eventually comes down again, she continues. And the fall is proportional to the rate of ascent. Within a few hours, the body exhausts its reserves of dopamine and serotonin, the pleasure hormones, which explains the depressive states of the following days.
As it is difficult to break away from this practice, she argues that one of the solutions is to use harm reduction, i.e. minimizing the negative consequences of consumption.
An option that André finally heard about and which he is now successfully exercising. He now attends small parties once or twice a year and makes sure to give himself a rest period afterwards where he is well surrounded in case the descent is painful.
André learned from this experience that finding suitable resources is not always easy. He maintains that he has been misunderstood because the practice of chemsex is not well known in the health and social services network.
Marie-Ève Morin from Klinik La Licorne, an organization dedicated to sexual health
Photo: Radio Canada
A podcast about breaking taboos
To break the taboo, Éric and André agreed to participate in a podcast to raise public awareness of the risks of chemsex.
There were few in the community with chemsex experience who spoke publicly, says the initiator of the Chemstory series (New Window), Olivier Ferlatte, a professor at the University of Montreal’s School of Public Health.
His project has a dual purpose. The first is to speak up freely and give virtuous examples of people who have managed to distance themselves from the unfortunate consequences of chemsex.
The second goal is to use the testimonies for scholarly purposes, especially to deepen the knowledge of the inconveniences of the followers.
Olivier Ferlatte is a regular researcher at the Public Health Research Center
Photo: Radio Canada / Vincent Rességuier
The ten or so participants in the podcast produced their episodes themselves, which gave them a great deal of freedom in the sound. This method has proven effective in gaining access to stories and information that were previously unavailable.
There are recurring themes such as the difficulty of accessing services, the taboo and stigma attached to this practice, which makes it difficult for people to share their experiences, explains Olivier Ferlatte. Another problem, he says, is the isolation of chemsex enthusiasts from their problems, particularly in the case of drug addiction.
The researcher has just received a second grant from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research to continue the series. Eventually he wants to produce 99 episodes in hopes that the information gathered will improve the handling of problematic cases that are still in the minority.
Gilles Lambert, Medical Advisor, Infectious Diseases Team, Montreal Department of Health
Photo: Radio Canada / Vincent Rességuier
Chemsex and sexually transmitted infections
The phenomenon is being closely followed by the Direction de la santé publique de Montréal, assures Gilles Lambert, medical adviser on the infectious diseases team.
According to a study conducted by his organization among gay, queer and non-binary men, the practice of chemsex is on the rise.
In 2017, 22% of people in this community had practiced chemsex in the previous six months. In 2022, that proportion has risen to 28%, representing nearly 10,000 people in the Montreal area.
Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) have also seen an upswing. Monkey pox is one of them. dr Lambert also points out that followers of chemsex are more likely to contract gonorrhea, syphilis or HIV. It is clear that there is a direct connection with the risks of transmission, he concludes.
One of the reasons for this is that the drug’s effects break down the usual barriers, such as wearing a condom or being wary of an unfamiliar partner.
It also monitors the risks associated with injecting crystal meth intravenously. The Department of Health has determined that 8% of chemsex enthusiasts use this substance and 12% of them by injection.
A practice that increases the risk of transmitting STDs, but also the risk of overdose, especially as the products on the market tend to be stronger, often because they contain fentanyl.
If you need help with chemsex, you can visit monbuzz.ca (New Window) which will direct you to resources about drugs and their effects on sexuality.
Sex and drugs don’t mix: report by Vincent Rességuier
ICI PREMIÈRE SHOW • World time
Sex and drugs don’t mix: report by Vincent Rességuier. 7-minute audio content, ICI premiere show. listen to audio.
Duration 7 minutes07:14