Sex, drugs and self-control: why chemsex is fast becoming a public health concern.

The sexual landscape of the UK is ever changing. Taboos and norms are in constant fluctuation, and what was perceived odd ten years ago is now commonplace. One growing practice in recent years, especially in the community of men who have sex with men (MSM), has been chemsex: intercourse under the influence of psychoactive substances, in particular GHB/GLB, mephedrone and crystal meth (see table 1). These drugs heighten sexual arousal and facilitate longer sex sessions, paving the way for chemsex parties: events based in clubs, saunas or private accommodation whereby weekend-long drugs binges fuel a quick turnover of sexual partners.