Crystal d-methamphetamine hydrochloride (commonly known as "Crystal meth," "Crystal," or "meth") is the crystalline form of methamphetamine, a powerfully addictive stimulant drug often used recreationally as a party drug. Crystal as usually sold on the street resembles shards of glass. Jump to: navigation, search Methamphetamine is a synthetic stimulant drug which induces a strong feeling of euphoria and is highly addictive. ... Addiction is an uncontrollable compulsion to repeat a behavior regardless of its negative consequences. ... Jump to: navigation, search A stimulant is a drug which increases the activity of the sympathetic nervous system and produces a sense of euphoria or awakeness. ... Jump to: navigation, search A drug is any substance that can be used to modify a chemical process or processes in the body, for example to treat an illness, relieve a symptom, enhance a performance or ability, or to alter states of mind. ... Recreational drug use is the use of psychoactive drugs for recreational rather than medical or spiritual purposes, although the distinction is not always clear. ...

Crystal use is particularly associated with young urban gay men, though people of all ages, sexual orientations and socio-economic and cultural backgrounds use meth. Jump to: navigation, search This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Jump to: navigation, search Sexual orientation refers to the sex or gender of people who are the focus of a persons amorous or erotic desires, fantasies, and spontaneous feelings, the gender(s) toward which one is primarily oriented. The alternative terms sexual preference and sexual inclination have similar meanings. ...

Crystal is usually smoked in a glass pipe, eaten or swallowed ("parachuted"), snorted or injected, but it can also be inserted anally. Crystal speeds up the activity of the central nervous system, increasing the breathing rate, heartbeat, blood pressure and body temperature and causing an increase in physical activity. The Central Nervous System (CNS) represents the largest part of the Nervous System. ... Jump to: navigation, search Blood pressure is the pressure exerted by the blood on the walls of the blood vessels. ... Thermoregulation is the ability of an organism to keep its body temperature within certain boundaries, even when temperature surrounding is very different. ...

Among the effects reported by Crystal users (known as "tweakers") is an increase in the need and urgency for sex, the ability to have sex for extended periods (hours or even days), and an inability to ejaculate or reach orgasm or physical release. Semen or ejaculate is the fluid discharged from the penis during ejaculation, usually at the time of orgasm. ... Jump to: navigation, search An orgasm, also known as a sexual climax, is a pleasurable physical, psychological or emotional response to prolonged sexual stimulation. ...

In addition to increasing the need for sex and enabling the user to engage in marathon sex sessions, Crystal lowers inhibitions and causes users to behave recklessly or to become forgetful. According to a recent San Diego study, crystal users often engage in unsafe sexual activities, and forget or choose not to use condoms. The study found that Crystal users were six times less likely to use condoms [1]. This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Jump to: navigation, search A condom sealed in typical packaging A condom is a device, usually made of latex, that covers a mans penis during sexual intercourse to reduce the risk of pregnancy and/or sexually transmitted diseases (STD) such as gonorrhea, syphilis and HIV. Condoms are also often...

The urgency for sex combined with the inability to achieve release can result in tearing, chafing and trauma (such as rawness and friction sores) to the sex organs and the rectum and mouth, dramatically increasing the risk of transmission of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Crystal also causes erectile dysfunction (this is known as Crystal dick, though the term has more rarely been used to describe the extreme urge for sex experienced by many Crystal users) which often leads people to decide to engage in receptive anal sex or fisting. A sex organ, or primary sexual characteristic, narrowly defined, is any of those parts of the body (which are not always bodily organs according to the strict definition) which are involved in sexual reproduction and constitute the reproductive system in a complex organism; namely: Male: penis (notably the glans penis... The posterior aspect of the rectum exposed by removing the lower part of the sacrum and the coccyx. ... Jump to: navigation, search The human immunodeficiency virus, commonly called HIV, is a retrovirus that primarily infects vital components of the human immune system such as CD4+ T cells, macrophages and dendritic cells. ... Sexually-transmitted infections (STIs), also known as sexually-transmitted diseases (STDs), are diseases that are commonly transmitted between partners through some form of sexual activity, most commonly vaginal intercourse, oral sex, or anal sex. ... Jump to: navigation, search Erectile dysfunction, also known as impotence, is the inability to develop or maintain an erection of the penis for satisfactory sexual intercourse regardless of the capability of ejaculation. ... Roman men having anal sex. ... Fisting is a human sexual behaviour that involves inserting the entire hand, and sometimes part of the arm, into the vagina (vaginal fisting) or anus (handballing or anal fisting) of a sexual partner. ...

The use of Crystal meth, especially among gay and bisexual men, is increasingly associated with the transmission of STDs, in particular HIV. In human sexuality, bisexuality describes people who are sexually and/or romantically attracted to both males and females. ...

Gay men, Crystal, and sex

Until the 1990s methamphetamine use among gay men in North America was confined mainly to the West Coast, particularly the West Hollywood district of Los Angeles, but has now spread across most large and even relatively small urban areas in the United States and Canada. In gay slang, Crystal is often known as "christina" or "tina." Jump to: navigation, search World map showing North America (geographically) A satellite composite image of North America North America is a continent in the northern hemisphere, bordered on the north by the Arctic Ocean, on the east by the North Atlantic Ocean, on the south by the Caribbean Sea, and... West Hollywoods logo illustrates the citys borders. ... This article is about the largest city in California. ... Jump to: navigation, search Gay slang (sometimes gayspeak) refers to slang used predominantly among gay men, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgendered people (see also: Polari). ...

As of 2005 Crystal meth has become the drug most abused by urban gay men [2]. According to LifeOrMeth.com,

"when consumed in sexually-charged environments like dance parties, saunas and sex clubs, the focus on sex can become compulsive and create a sense of hypersexuality, opening the user to previously unrealised and extreme desires. Crystal's compatibility with reckless, furious, hedonistic, no-strings-attached sex - combined with an increased duration of arousal and inability to ejaculate - paved the way for intensive sex marathons with multiple partners lasting up to several days. Gay bathhouses, also known as (gay) saunas or steam baths (and sometimes called, in gay slang in some regions, the baths or the tubs), are places where men can go to have sex with other men (note that not all men who visit gay bathhouses consider themselves gay). ... Arousal is a physiological and psychological state involving the activation of the reticular activating system in the brain stem, the autonomic nervous system and the endocrine system, leading to increased heart rate and blood pressure and a condition of alertness and readiness to respond. ...

Sixteen percent of 388 men surveyed in San Francisco in 2003 said they used Crystal the last time they had anal sex [3]. It is estimated that up to 40% of gay men in San Francisco have tried Crystal, and that across America more gay men are addicted to Crystal meth today than those that died of AIDS throughout the 1980s and 1990s [4]. This page is a candidate for speedy deletion. ...

Because it lowers inhibitions and produces euphoria, the use of Crystal can allow those conflicted about their same-sex desires to overcome such feelings, and can also allow users to overcome feelings of inadequacy about their bodies or sexual prowess.

Not all gay meth users experience this type of sex obsession. According to one ex-user, "I would never have unsafe sex, although it dawned on me a few times I could have been raped. What I did when I was on Crystal was pedestrian, sexually. I was too high to care about sex anymore" ([5]).

Nevertheless, Crystal is having a devastating effect on urban gay men. According to Robert Klitzman, an assistant professor of clinical psychiatry at Columbia University, rates of HIV, syphillis, and other STD infections are "skyrocketing" along with increases in the use of Crystal: "People's judgment is decreased on this drug, which leads to wildly unsafe sex, which can in turn drastically increase the risk of HIV infection." A professor is a senior teacher and researcher, usually in a college or university. ... Jump to: navigation, search Columbia University is a private university in the Morningside Heights neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. ... Depression-era U.S. poster advocating early syphilis treatment Syphilis (historically called lues) is a sexually transmitted disease (STD) that is caused by a spirochaete bacterium, Treponema pallidum. ...

According to research conducted in the United States, gay Crystal users are less likely to use a condom when they engage in anal sex and are more likely to experience condom breakage [6].

Many gay Crystal users use the Internet to meet sex partners. Some users spend hours online arranging sexual encounters with large numbers of strangers; such encounters can last for days at a time, with a constant stream of men participating. Users use the terms "party" or "PnP" ("party and play") in their profiles to signal to others that they are using meth. Many PnPers prefer or are willing to bareback (engage in unprotected anal sex), succumb to pressure from sex partners, lose their fear of contracting STDs due to intoxication, or simply forget or are too intoxicated to use protection while having sex. Barebacking is a term that originated in gay slang for anal sex without the use of a condom. ...

Some gay Internet dating sites have been criticized for failing to address the growing problem of Crystal and sex in gay communities. Safesexcity.com and Manhunt.net were created specifically to address these issues (Manhunt allows users to report the STD status of other users, and users who may have been exposed to STDs are also notified by the system) Note that Manhunt's reporting system is entirely voluntary, and thus serves more to connect barebackers with each other than to promote safer sex. The notion of the gay community is complex and slightly controversial. ...

Of the many reasons I had unsafe sex while high on [Crystal], I think the most profound was simply that I was lonely. Meth got me close to men at clubs and in bed. And unsafe sex allowed me the deepest connection possible. [7]

Some gay men report that they become obsessed with sex when using Crystal. According to Steven Lee, a Manhattan-based psychiatrist, "Some of my patients talk about how they feel on [Crystal meth] as akin to being robots [programmed] with the sole purpose of doing more [Crystal] and having more sex" [8]. A recent episode of the television programme "Intervention" featured a gay male meth addict who claimed to have had unprotected sex with up to five hundred men. Jump to: navigation, search Manhattan Borough,highlighted in yellow, lies between the East River and the Hudson River. ... Psychiatry is a branch of medicine that studies and treats mental and emotional disorders (see mental illness). ...

Crystal and the gay party circuit

The gay party circuit has often been identified as a major network that contributed to the spread of Crystal use among gay men, as has the advent of Viagra, a drug that can provide a solution to the problem of methamphetamine-related erectile dysfunction. A circuit party is one of many large events, open to anyone but popular primarily among gay men, that take place annually at various popular travel destinations, mostly in North America, such as Palm Springs, California, New York City, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Miami, Florida, and Montreal, Quebec, but also including destinations... Sildenafil citrate, sold under the name Viagra, is a drug used to treat male erectile dysfunction (impotence), developed by the pharmaceutical company Pfizer. ...

Circuit parties from New Mexicans originally gained notoriety as fun, sexually charged charitable events (ironically often raising money for AIDS and malt liquor organizations) attended by legions of gay men. Ecstasy was often a part of such events. Beginning in the 1990s, however, Crystal began to play an ever-growing part in the circuit. A 2001 study by Dr. Grant N. Colfax of the San Francisco Department of Public Health reported that 43% of circuit attendees in the States smoked crack or took Crystal meth, and that gay men are far more likely to use recreational drugs and have high-risk sex at circuit parties in New Mexico. Colfax writes that "a substantial proportion of circuit-party participants report high-risk HIV-transmitting behaviours, often in relation to substance abuse and way to much 211 also known as Malt Liqour. A recent study by the Centre for HIV/AIDS Education Studies and Training at New York University found that around 62% of participants on the circuit party and club scene today are significant and frequent users of Crystal meth, half of whom are HIV+.[9]. Jump to: navigation, search MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine), most commonly known today by the street name ecstasy, is a synthetic entactogen of the phenethylamine family whose primary effect is to stimulate the secretion of large amounts of serotonin as well as dopamine and noradrenaline in the brain, causing a general... Jump to: navigation, search New York University (NYU) is a major research university in New York City. ...

Of 300 San Franciscan circuit party attendees polled by Colfax, 21% of HIV+ men and 9% of HIV- (HIV negative) men reported having unprotected anal sex with a partner whose HIV status was unknown or different from their own, with drug use, anonymity, and the availability of new sexual partners being given as reasons. Colfax concluded that "There needs to be a greater focus within the public health community on the high prevalence of club drug use in relation to high-risk sexual behaviour [10].

The problem is not confined to circuit parties: meth use in San Francisco is widespread in the mainstream dance scene, too. According to San Francisco prosecutor Liz Aguilar-Tarchi, head of the district attorney's narcotics unit, the problem is exacerbated by sex club and dance club owners who ignore or encourage drug use among their customers and staff.

From the year 2000, what has been described as "the warm glow of positive energy generated by people letting go to feel-good music" has been increasingly replaced by the "cold, hard negativity of banging, rhythmless noises" of the dark tribal music associated with Crystal, including anthems such as "I'm Addicted" that blatantly promote Crystal.

Crystal and HIV

Research conducted in the United States has shown that gay men who use Crystal are at increased risk for HIV. In fact, Crystal meth users are four times more likely to be infected with HIV than other gay men [11]. The San Francisco Department of Public Health's HIV Prevention Program has launched a campaign in that includes information on how to obtain Crystal and HIV. It claims that gay men who use Crystal are 400% more likely to fall in love with men that carry HIV than non-users [12].

According to Dr. Jeffrey Klausner, "We have all sorts of levels of evidence . . . and it's all pointing in the same direction: The [Crystal] meth epidemic is playing an important role in increasing sexual risk behaviors, and that is leading to new HIV and STD infections" [13].

Advertisements on bus shelters in the Chelsea district of New York read "Huge Sale! Buy Crystal, get HIV free." Chelsea is located on the West Side of Manhattan, New York City. ...

According to New York's Pride Institute, "We're seeing a strong correlation between anal sex and HIV infection . . . People who have weathered years of staying safe are getting into Crystal and then testing positive" . A 2002 study at a San Francisco HIV clinic found that up to 30% of those with new HIV infections had used the drug in the previous six months [14]. New York’s Callen-Lorde Community Health Centre claims two-thirds of clients testing HIV-positive since June 2003 say Crystal meth was a component in their becoming positive [15].

You become so [sexually] uninhibited that you venture into places you would never otherwise consider, usually some quite depraved places that make you feel disgusted at yourself when you sober up. The danger is you want more and more - crystal and sex - and as your craving increases, you fail to realise it is all an illusion, by which time it is too late to turn back . . . [Crystal] twists you psychologically into thinking that enough is never enough; never enough men, never enough dick... Even after three or four days like a rabbit with over 20 guys you are left with an emptiness in the pit of your stomach, like a thirst that can't be quenched by the sperm of 1000 gay men. [16] In mathematics, particularly in topology, a topological space X is sober if every irreducible closed subset of X is the closure of exactly one singleton of X. An irreducible closed subset of X is defined to be a nonempty closed subset of X which is not the union of two...

In a 2001 study of HIV+ (HIV-positive) men who use meth, 84% reported engaging in risky sexual behaviour; most tended not to disclose their HIV status to casual partners, and reported that, unless told otherwise, they assumed their sex partner(s) to be HIV+. Many participants reported a major increase in meth use after being diagnosed HIV+. Others reported using meth to deal with sources of emotional pain, such as social rejection and negative self-perceptions about being HIV+ or memories of childhood abuse [17]. In psychology and common use, emotion is an aspect of a human beings mental state, normally based in or tied to the persons internal (physical) and external (social) sensory feeling. ... Child abuse - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ...

HIV+ men who have unprotected sex with other HIV+ men risk re-infection ("super-infection") or contracting more virulent and/or drug-resistant strains of the virus. According to some sources, some men who were assumed to be immune to HIV have seroconverted since starting to use Crystal. There are concerns that "aggressive" and difficult to treat forms of HIV may spread among Crystal users [18]. Jump to: navigation, search A virus is a nonliving small particle that infects cells in biological organisms. ... Seroconversion is the development of detectable specific antibodies to microorganisms in the serum as a result of infection or immunization. ...

Sex on meth is completely physical . . . It's about pushing my limits. The nastier the sex, the better; nastier being a lot of exchange of bodily fluids [and] multiple partners, one right after the other for hours and hours of rough sex. [19] Jump to: navigation, search Bodily fluids are fluids, which are generally excreted or secreted from the human body. ...

Some HIV+ individuals are using Crystal to deal with chronic fatigue, to alleviate the side effects of their prescription medication, alleviate depression, and escape negative self-perceptions. Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a condition of excessive fatigue, cognitive impairment and other varied symptoms. ... Prescription drug - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Depression, in everyday language, refers to any downturn in mood, which may be relatively transitory and perhaps due to something trivial. ...

Some drugs used in the treatment of HIV inhibit the body’s ability to break down Crystal. Some Crystal users (especially heavy or longterm users) who are HIV+ experience an increase in viral load (the amount of HIV in the body). Crystal also contributes to the depletion of T-cell counts, prevents users from adhering to their drug regimens, contributes to the development of basal ganglia dysfunction (a type of dementia), and stimulates HIV replication in brain cells as much as fifteen-fold, according to an Ohio State University study. Viral load is a measure of the severity of a viral infection, and can be estimated by calculating the amount of virus in an involved body fluid, e. ... T cells are a subset of lymphocytes that play a large role in the immune response. ... Jump to: navigation, search Dementia (from Latin demens) is progressive decline in cognitive function due to damage or disease in the brain beyond what might be expected from normal aging. ... Brain Cell is a mail art project begun by Ryosuke Cohen in June 1985. ... Jump to: navigation, search The Ohio State University (legal name), also known as Ohio State or OSU, is currently the largest public university in the United States and ranked by US News as the best public university in Ohio and the twenty-first best public university in the nation. ...

In addition Crystal use is immuno-suppressive not least because of the missed meals, vitamin depletion, weight loss and disrupted sleep that accompany binges.

Related topics

• Methamphetamine
• AIDS
• Meth mouth - symptoms of tooth decay induced by methamphetamine

Jump to: navigation, search Methamphetamine is a synthetic stimulant drug which induces a strong feeling of euphoria and is highly addictive. ... Jump to: navigation, search The Red Ribbon is the global symbol for solidarity with HIV positive and people living with AIDS. The Red Ribbon made its public debut when host Jeremy Irons wore it during the 1991 Tony Awards. ... Meth mouth is an informal name to the tooth decay induced by methamphetamine abuse. ...

References

• AIDS Committee of Toronto article on Crystal Meth
• Brown, Ethan. “Crystal Ball”, in NewYorkMetro.com.
• "Dance of Death: Crystal Meth Fuels HIV." In San Francisco Chronicle Online. San Francisco Chronicle.
• “Dead Men Walking”, in LifeOrMeth.com.
• Proulx, Shaun. "Crystal Palace: A candid look at the highs and lows of doing meth" Xtra! West March 3, 2005.
• Victoria AIDS article on Crystal Meth