MORE GAY MEN USING METH, STUDY FINDS

Use of the Drug, Which Is Associated With HIV Transmission, Has
Surged Since 2005, According to Data Collected by a Nonprofit Agency.

Crystal meth use among gay men has spiked since 2005, according to
preliminary data collected by a Los Angeles nonprofit agency, with
those using the drug in the last year five times more likely to test
positive for HIV.

Of the 6,360 gay men the Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Center tested for
HIV or other sexually transmitted diseases last year, one in four
reported using the drug at least once.

That's a jump from 2005, when 18% of 5,300 gay men surveyed said
they'd tried the drug, which triggers a euphoric high.

A popular party drug, crystal methamphetamine also lowers sexual
inhibitions, increases arousal and helps users escape internalized
homophobia or other social stigmas, said Mike Rizzo, the center's
manager of crystal meth recovery services.

"With crystal meth, it's sort of the perfect gay drug," Rizzo said.

Crystal meth use is also common among homeless youth, allowing
individuals to stay awake through the night and suppressing hunger,
said Rizzo, himself a recovering crystal meth addict.

Meth also is closely linked with HIV transmission, Rizzo said, as the
drug increases risky sexual behavior and some people use it to cope
with the trauma of HIV infection. Of newly infected HIV patients, 43%
reported some meth use, Rizzo said.

"There's no doubt in the minds of most experts that meth contributes
not only to the transmission of HIV, but other STDs," said Jonathan
Fielding, Los Angeles County public health director.

The city of West Hollywood scheduled a news conference this morning
to highlight the increased meth use among gays and unveil public
service announcements to combat meth use.

City officials also are sponsoring a town hall forum tonight to
discuss the need for expanded treatment options.

"There literally needs to be more beds," said David Giugni, the
city's social service supervisor.

Roughly one of every 10 men who have sex with men reported using meth
within a six-month period, according to a 2005 study cited by the
L.A. County Department of Public Health in a report this week. That
frequency is about 20 times greater than in the general population,
Fielding said.

"Every time we get new data about increased use of crystal and its
relation to HIV, we're surprised -- but we're not shocked," said
Darrel Cummings, chief of staff at the Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Center.

Even as the gay community has struggled with the AIDS epidemic, it
now faces "a perfect storm of a drug that is contributing in some
ways to the ongoing spread of HIV," Cummings said.

Rather than being distributed in bars or clubs, men often connect
online to use meth and have sex, said West Hollywood City Councilman
John Duran. "I am hoping that we are at the top of the bell curve in
terms of crystal meth use in the gay community," he said.

Crystal meth has become the No. 1 drug used by individuals seeking
treatment in county-funded programs, Fielding said. Although meth use
has risen across demographic groups, abuse soared among women,
particularly young Latinas, and Filipinos between 2001 and 2005, Fielding said.

The county has funded three new HIV- and meth-prevention programs
addressing the disease and drug use, specifically aimed at men who
have sex with men, Fielding said.

"Crystal has infiltrated every avenue of society," said Kathy Watt,
executive director of Van Ness Recovery House in Hollywood. "Crystal
meth is a drug that takes people down really, really fast."