Being Simultaneously Curious and Stressed, Precipitants to Methamphetamine Initiation Among Chinese Men Who Have Sex With Men: Findings From a Qualitative Study

Abstract

The cultural context and precipitants for initiating methamphetamine (MA) using among Chinese men who have sex with men (MSM) are unclear. This qualitative descriptive study, which explores the specific precipitants of MA initiation within a cultural context among MSM in China, was conducted with data from semistructured, face-to-face interviews with 24 MA-using MSM (8 HIV positive). Two themes were identified, internal precipitants included the following: (a) curiosity, (b) desire for maximum sexual pleasure, (c) experience with other drugs, and (d) strong sense of self-control capacity. External precipitants included (a) Xiao [ 孝 ] (filial piety), (b) peer pressure, (c) negative life events, (d) parental emotional neglect, and (e) experiences of homophobia. Internal precipitants to MA initiation for Chinese MSM are consistent with past research. External precipitants were more culture specific. This exacerbates the vulnerability of MSM to MA initiation and keeps it hidden among this population. Future drug use prevention interventions for MSM should address external precipitants and integrate culture-specific strategies.

A bibliometric analysis of HIV nursing research between 1999 and 2022

“…Notably, a Chinese scholar, Wang Honghong, was ranked 10th with nine publications. Her research focused on high‐risk sexual behaviours, quality of life, and psychological issues of men who have sex with men (MSM), a particular population vulnerable to HIV/AIDS (Zhou et al., 2021).…”