The Gay and Lesbian Medical Association had expressed concern over a study which minimized the extent of crystal methamphetamine use in the United States. An article reported on a recent study which found that 0.2% of Americans are regular users of crystal meth. The study, The Next Big Thing? Methamphetamine in the United States, was carried out by the Washington, DC-based Sentencing Project. For some reason the study did not address crystal methamphetamine use by gay, bisexual or transgender men.

Research has found that crystal methamphetamine abuse among gay and bisexual men is up to ten times higher than in the general population. A 2003 study by the Chicago Department of Public Health and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that approximately 10% of gay men had used crystal methamphetamine at least once in the previous year, compared with 0.7% of the general United States population. Of those gay men who reported using crystal meth, 20% were using at least once per week. Another study found that 20% of young gay and bisexual men had used crystal meth in the previous six months, with 6% reporting daily use. Anyone can see that that crystal meth abuse is much higher among the gay population.

Crystal Meth and High Risk Sex

Furthermore, crystal methamphetamine abuse has also been linked to high risk sexual activity. A study conducted in 2000-01 by the University of California San Francisco AIDS Health Project, the CDC, and the San Francisco Department of Public Health found that gay men who used crystal meth were three times as likely to contract HIV as non-meth users. Crystal meth use has also been linked to a resurgence of syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia infections.

"Crystal meth use among gay and bisexual men is a public health crisis, and media attention about crystal meth should reflect this," said Joel Ginsberg, GLMA's Executive Director. "HIV/AIDS didn't get the attention it deserved early on in part because many people felt it wasn't their problem. The result was a huge amount of avoidable suffering and expense. We can't make that mistake again."

Gay Friendly Drug Rehab Programs for Crystal Meth Addiction

Selecting a drug rehab in which to recover from crystal meth addiction can be a stressful and confusing decision. This becomes even more difficult when a person is gay, bisexual or transgender and is looking for a drug rehab or addiction treatment program to meet their specific needs. Luckily, this decision has been made a little easier with the emergence of gay friendly drug rehab programs and gay friendly alcohol rehab centers. These gay friendly rehab programs have developed addiction treatment services, specifically designed to treat the gay, bisexual and transgender population.

At the same time, there are gay drug rehab programs, that are exclusive to the gay, bisexual population. In wither case, quality crystal meth addiction treatment is now available for the gay population