title: Personal values and meaning in the use of methamphetamine among HIV-positive men who have sex with men.
abstract: Our aim with this qualitative study was to understand the role of personal values, meaning, and impact of drug use among HIV-positive men who have sex with men (MSM) who struggle with methamphetamine use. Participants were 22 MSM recruited from an ethnically diverse county in the San Francisco Bay area of California. Grounded theory was used to analyze the data collected in individual interviews. Emergent constructs of context, meaning, and perceived impact were identified and are described in a theoretical narrative format. The importance of broadening our understanding of HIV and methamphetamine addiction and their interaction is highlighted. This study contributes to the understanding of the complexity of methamphetamine use within the specific population of MSM living with HIV/ AIDS, and suggests possible directions for addressing important maintaining factors like adaptive use and enhancing factors that could contribute to an individual's ability to make better choices based on meaning and personal values.
authors.affiliation: Pacific Graduate School of Psychology-Stanford Psy.D. Consortium, Palo Alto, California, USA.
authors.forename: Maggie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chartier
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Araneta
authors.forename: Lindsey
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Duca
authors.forename: Lawrence M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: McGlynn
authors.forename: Cheryl
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gore-Felton
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Goldblum
authors.forename: Cheryl
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Koopman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D019969:Amphetamine-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D001727:Bisexuality / Q000523:psychology*; D006679:HIV Seropositivity; D018451:Homosexuality, Male / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008694:Methamphetamine; D008875:Middle Aged; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012307:Risk Factors; D012495:San Francisco / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D008694:Methamphetamine