A ground-breaking Chemsex Toolkit for clinical service providers working in the Asia-Pacific region was launched at the 6th Asia Pacific Chemsex Symposium (APCS) in Bangkok, Thailand.
Developed by ASHM on behalf of UNAIDS and United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the Chemsex Toolkit for clinical service providers in the Asia-Pacific region is the first of its kind to provide tailored information on chemsex for clinical service providers in the Asia-Pacific region.
‘Chemsex’, which involves using drugs to enhance sexual experience, is emerging as a significant concern for the increased risk of HIV and other sexually transmissible infections (STIs) among gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM) and transgender women across the region. In many countries, chemsex is often stigmatized and the drugs commonly used in chemsex are often illegal contributing to barriers in health seeking and disclosure. A nuanced response from health care providers is therefore needed to help overcome these barriers.
The toolkit provides an overview of chemsex drugs, motivations for chemsex, and chemsex related harms and equips health care providers with a sound understanding of harm reduction interventions through easy to use guides and tools, case studies and training modules, empowering health care workers across the region to feel confident and competent to deliver key population friendly services that reduce harm related to high risk behaviours.
This comprehensive resource also acknowledges the social and structural barriers to seeking care for people engaging in chemsex , including punitive laws for drug use, the criminalisation of same sex relationships and discriminatory attitudes of some health workers. As such, the toolkit highlights the importance of an integrated approach that responds to the specific needs of key populations that engage in chemsex. The toolkit was developed in consultation with key stakeholders, including regional and country experts, government representatives, community, healthcare professionals, CSO/NGOs, advocates and researchers from across the Asia-Pacific region. The Chemsex Toolkit For clinical service providers in the Asia-Pacific region can be accessed via the UNAIDS website.
