Examining the intersection of desire,drugs and place among gay men

Abstract

The extant literature identifies a strong relationship between drug use and unprotected sex at large, gay-male-oriented, techno-parties that are known as circuit parties. The available research data, however, mostly fail to substantiate this link. Consequently, an interview-based qualitative study was undertaken with 17 gay men who attend circuit parties in Montréal, Canada. The findings revealed that the relationship between drugs and unprotected sex is multifactorial. Rather than there being a linear relationship between these items, the findings produced herein revealed that unprotected sex is the culmination of certain intersections between people's desire, their drug use, and the places where they use drugs and engage in unprotected sex. These findings highlight that researchers should now identify how these intersections yield unprotected sex.