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Chemgen Study: Assessing the Consumption of Care in General Practice of Men with Sexual Relationships with Men Users of Psychoactive Products in a Sexual Context

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Abstract

Context

Chemsex involves mental and sexual health risks for users, which generate specific needs in primary care. The aim of this study is to evaluate the role of the general practitioner (GP) in the identification of disorders and first aid offered to MSM chemsex users (CUs).

Methods

Data were collected with a self-administered questionnaire offered to MSM patients consulting in six Parisian STI clinics. The primary endpoint was the number of GP visits reported by patients in the past 12 months between CUs and control.

Results

Three hundred sixty-four MSMs were included between October and December of 2018: 94 CUs (25.9%) and 270 control. The multivariate analysis showed no statistically significant difference in the number of GP visits in the past 12 months (3.27 vs 2.66, p = 0.205). CUs had a higher number of sexual partners (p < 0.001) and used PrEP more often (OR 3.33 [CI95% 1.81–6.22]). Among the CUs, 67% had consulted their GP for STI testing in the last 12 months and 29.7% for PrEP. About 28.3% had ever mentioned their chemsex practices at GP and 10.9% had taken sick leaves at least once.

Conclusion

Our study explored the impact of chemsex on the demand for care at GP. There is an association of chemsex with PrEP.

Policy Implications

The relays of PrEP and chemsex care in general practice in the coming years require an awareness from health professionals. The management of chemsex complications should be extended into care networks and include GPs.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre de Santé Sexuelle Le Kiosque- Checkpoint, 75003, Paris, France

    Dorian Rollet

  2. Psychiatry and Addictology Department, Hôpital Lariboisière Fernand-Widal, APHP, Groupe hospitalier, Université de Paris, 200, rue Du Faubourg-Saint-Denis, 75010, Paris, France

    Dorian Rollet & Virgile Clergue-Duval

  3. Inserm UMRS-1144, Université de Paris, Paris, France

    Virgile Clergue-Duval

  4. Faculté de Médecine, Université de Paris, Paris, France

    Virgile Clergue-Duval

  5. Centre for Genital and Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Dermatology Department, APHP, Hôpital Saint Louis, Paris, France

    Sebastien Fouéré

  6. Centre for Genital and Sexually Transmitted Diseases, APHP, Hôpital Lariboisière Fernand-Widal, Paris, France

    Christophe Segouin

  7. Centre for Genital and Sexually Transmitted Diseases, APHP, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France

    Anne Simon

  8. Le 190 Sexual Health Centre, Paris, France

    Michel Ohayon

  9. Département de Médecine Générale, Université de Paris, Paris, France

    Amélie Aïm-Eusébi

Authors
  1. Dorian Rollet
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  2. Virgile Clergue-Duval
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  3. Sebastien Fouéré
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  4. Christophe Segouin
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  5. Anne Simon
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  7. Amélie Aïm-Eusébi
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Contributions

Dorian Rollet, M.D.: conceptualization-equal; data curation-equal; formal analysis-lead; investigation-lead; methodology-lead; resources-equal; writing—original draft-equal. Virgile Clergue-Duval, M.D.: formal analysis-supporting; writing—review and editing-supporting. Sébastien Fouéré, M.D. MSc: conceptualization-supporting; project administration-equal; writing—review and supervision-supporting. Christophe Segouin, M.D.: conceptualization-supporting and project administration-equal. Anne Simon, M.D.: project administration-equal and supervision-supporting. Michel Ohayon, M.D.: conceptualization-supporting; project administration-equal, supervision-supporting, writing—review and editing-supporting. Amélie Aim-Eusebi, M.D.: conceptualization-supporting; methodology-supporting; supervision-lead; writing—review and editing-lead.

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Correspondence to Dorian Rollet.

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Rollet, D., Clergue-Duval, V., Fouéré, S. et al. Chemgen Study: Assessing the Consumption of Care in General Practice of Men with Sexual Relationships with Men Users of Psychoactive Products in a Sexual Context. Sex Res Soc Policy 19, 1080–1089 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13178-021-00600-y

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