The energy is through the roof, hot sweaty bodies in a huge room. You can feel the heat from the fevered pitch as the bodies writhe to the beat of the music. Imagine doing that several days a week and having a full time job. It seems there has to be something that keeps them going. The scary part of the Crystal meth use is that many users are HIV+.

In an article from IN Magazine from December 2004, Dr. Gary Cohen, a leading authority in HIV and AIDS medicine states that "there is no such thing as recreational use of crystal meth. It's so addictive and so damaging, people take a dabble at a club, party or on the dance floor and become unwitting addicts. People do things that they normally wouldn't do. It also messes up your brain chemistry, as the user keeps chasing that first high. It can do permanent damage."

Openly gay singer Paul Lukakis was at a forum in West Hollywood and this is what he had to say about crystal meth. "It's a disgusting drug," said Lukakis, who is positive, clean and sober. "It gives you this thirst for sex. But no matter how many sexual encounters you have, your thirst is never quenched, never satisfied." "If you're HIV+, usually the last thing on your mind is having a conversation about your HIV status. Negatives need to know that you can't trust someone who's using crystal meth.

In a study done on Circuit party attendance, club drug use and unsafe sex in gay men, they examined the population demographics and club drugs used in gay circuit parties and estimated the reported unsafe sexual behavior associated with each drug, the reasons for attending circuit parties and the unsafe sex associated with different reasons.
Now stay with me, this isn't as complex as it might seem. A brief questionnaire was given to a nonrandom attendees covering, drugs used, sexual activity and reasons for attending gay circuit parties at three major North America parties in 1998-1999. A total of 1169 usable questionnaires were obtained. The drugs surveyed were alcohol, marijuana, ecstasy, special K, crystal meth, poppers and GHB were calculated as was the significance of unsafe sex for the ten major reasons for attending circuit parties.

The results in 12 months show that party drug use was high. 50% reported using alcohol, ecstasy and Special K. Frequent rather than occasional use of Ecstasy Special K and poppers had an association with unsafe sex in 12 months, but not necessarily at circuit parties, but crystal meth and GHB were a trend. Attending Circuit parties "to look and feel good," "to have sex," and "to be uninhibited and wild" were associated with higher levels of unsafe sex in 12 months. In this sample, circuit party attendees are well educated and financially secure. Party drug use is high. It appears that the use of poppers, Ecstasy, Special K, crystal meth and GHB are associated with various measures of unsafe sex.

Though there is no scientific proof of the correlation between crystal use and HIV infection, there is anecdotal evidence of a connection. It is a larger problem than people think. If you use crystal meth and you want help there are places to help you. If you use any drugs and you want help, by all means please seek help. Life is too short to look at it through a plastic bag. For more information on crystal meth go to www.escapemeth.com or call Custom treatment for crystal meth abusers and addicts at 1-800-281-8132