title: Changes in stimulant drug use over time in the MACS: evidence for resilience against stimulant drug use among men who have sex with men.
abstract: Stimulant drug use is associated with numerous health problems among men who have sex with men (MSM). This paper describes how stimulant drug use changes over a four and one-half year period from 2003 until 2008. Participants were 2,389 men (17,222 person-visits) from The Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study (MACS)-an ongoing, prospective study of HIV infection among MSM. Group-based trajectory analyses of data from these men over the study period yielded a four groups solution: consistent users (9.8%), men whose use increased (5.4%), men whose use declined (6.9%), and abstinent or rarely-using men (77.9%). There were significant differences between groups in terms of demographic, behavioral risk and HIV serostatus. Men who increased or decreased stimulant drug use over time reported congruent changes in sexual risk taking. The fact that sexual risk levels parallel stimulant drug use over time suggests that finding ways to lower rates of stimulant drug use among MSM could be a tool in HIV prevention.
authors.affiliation: Department of Behavioral and Community Health Sciences, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Sin How
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ostrow
authors.forename: Ron
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Stall
authors.forename: Joan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chmiel
authors.forename: Amy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Herrick
authors.forename: Steve
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shoptaw
authors.forename: Uyen
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Kao
authors.forename: Adam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Carrico
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Plankey
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000639:trends; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants / Q000009:adverse effects*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D018451:Homosexuality, Male / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D055500:Resilience, Psychological; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000639:trends; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D047568:Unsafe Sex / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants