Drugs, Play and Mental Health � Syndemics Among Gay and Bi Men

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Friday, March 14th, 2014
12:00 PM to 1:00 PM

What are the synergistic consequences of a cluster of diseases, known as a syndemic, on gay/bi men's health? Does partying increase risk of HIV infections and transmission among gay and bisexual men? The relation between drug use and HIV risks has been emphasized by countless research reports since the onset of the HIV epidemic. More often than not, these reports ignore other co-occurring factors such as mental health, homophobia, and violence. In this presentation, Olivier Ferlatte will present data from the Sex Now survey, a Canadian survey of gay and bi men, to critique current research and prevention approaches to drugs and HIV prevention. Using a syndemic framework, this presentation will show that problematic drug use among gay men occurs in conjunction with other health problems, which are produced by anti-gay experiences. Attendees will be invited to consider the prevention implications of such findings.

About the Speaker: Olivier Ferlatte is Research Education Director at the Community-Based Research Centre for gay Men�s Health (http://cbrc.net/) and a PhD Candidate in Health Sciences at Simon Fraser University. Olivier's research interests include social determinants of gay men's health as well as the application of intersectionality and syndemic theory to explain health inequities faced by gay men.