{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,17]],"date-time":"2026-07-17T18:03:55Z","timestamp":1784311435002,"version":"3.55.0"},"reference-count":20,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"7","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,17]],"date-time":"2026-07-17T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1784246400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosone.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLoS One"],"abstract":"<jats:sec id=\"sec001\">\n                    <jats:title>Introduction<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Chemsex is the intentional use of psychoactive substances to facilitate, enhance, or prolong sexual encounters. It is notably common among men who have sex with men (MSM), contributing to high-risk sexual behaviors. However, limited research has focused on chemsex among MSM in Myanmar. This study aimed to assess the prevalence, practices, and associated risk factors of chemsex among MSM in Yangon, Myanmar.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec id=\"sec002\">\n                    <jats:title>Materials and methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Between December 2024 and January 2025, a cross-sectional online survey was conducted among MSM aged 18 and older living in Yangon. Participants were recruited through social media platforms, including Facebook and Telegram, as well as dating apps. Data were collected using the KoboCollect platform and analyzed in SPSS. Descriptive statistics summarized demographic and behavioral data, and multivariate analyses identified factors associated with chemsex.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec id=\"sec003\">\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The study included 415 MSM participants with a mean age of 30.1 years. The majority (71.3%) were between 18 and 34 years old. Most identified as gay (76%), had a university or postgraduate degree (62%), and 60% were employed. Approximately 26% reported engaging in chemsex at some point, with 20.7% having done so within the past six months. The most commonly reported substances were methamphetamine (69.8%), poppers (33.7%), and cannabis (19.8%). Injection and inhalation were the most common routes of administration. Chemsex sessions mostly took place in hotels (76.7%) and homes (54.7%), and for nearly half of participants, sessions lasted between 4 and 12 hours. Only 10% reported consistent condom use during chemsex, while group sex was frequent \u2013 about 40% engaged with 4\u20135 partners, and nearly 60% participated in threesomes. Chemsex within the last 14 days was reported by 46.5%. Factors significantly associated with chemsex included identifying as gay (aOR = 3.0, 95% CI:1.5\u20135.9, p\u2009=\u20090.001), smoking (aOR = 2.8, 95% CI:1.2\u20134.0, p\u2009=\u20090.006), participation in group sex (aOR = 4.0, 95% CI: 2.4\u20136.6, p\u2009&lt;\u20090.001), and having multiple partners (aOR = 3.3, 95% CI:1.7\u20136.3, p\u2009&lt;\u20090.001).<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec id=\"sec004\">\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Chemsex prevalence among MSM in Yangon is alarmingly high and associated with risky behaviors. There is an urgent need for targeted interventions that focus on education, harm reduction, and improved access to MSM-specific health services.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0353993","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,17]],"date-time":"2026-07-17T17:29:41Z","timestamp":1784309381000},"page":"e0353993","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Chemsex among men who have sex with men (MSM) in Yangon, Myanmar: Prevalence, practices, and associated risk factors"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"21","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0002-4931-9293","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Naung Latt","family":"Htun","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4337-9754","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Myo-Myo","family":"Mon","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Kyaw Soe","family":"Thant","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Phyu Phyu","family":"Kyaw","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"340","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,17]]},"reference":[{"key":"pone.0353993.ref001","author":"Harm Reduction International","year":"2021"},{"issue":"14","key":"pone.0353993.ref002","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2344","DOI":"10.1080\/00918369.2020.1804258","article-title":"\u201cSlam Sex\u201d - Sexualized Injecting Drug Use (\u201cSIDU\u201d) Amongst Men Who Have Sex with Men (MSM)-A Scoping Review","volume":"68","author":"F Scheibein","year":"2021","journal-title":"J Homosex"},{"key":"pone.0353993.ref003","first-page":"147","article-title":"Drug use among men who have sex with men: Implications for harm reduction.","volume-title":"Global State of Health Reduction 2012","author":"A. Bourne","year":"2012"},{"issue":"4","key":"pone.0353993.ref004","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"261","DOI":"10.1111\/hiv.12574","article-title":"Sexualized drug use ('chemsex\u2019) and high-risk sexual behaviours in HIV-positive men who have sex with men","volume":"19","author":"EL Pufall","year":"2018","journal-title":"HIV Med"},{"key":"pone.0353993.ref005","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"109741","DOI":"10.1016\/j.drugalcdep.2022.109741","article-title":"Chemsex and chemsex associated substance use among men who have sex with men in Asia: A systematic review and meta-analysis","volume":"243","author":"H Wang","year":"2023","journal-title":"Drug Alcohol Depend"},{"issue":"3","key":"pone.0353993.ref006","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"112","DOI":"10.1089\/apc.2017.0263","article-title":"Sexualized Drug Use (Chemsex) Is Associated with High-Risk Sexual Behaviors and Sexually Transmitted Infections in HIV-Positive Men Who Have Sex with Men: Data from the U-SEX GESIDA 9416 Study","volume":"32","author":"A Gonz\u00e1lez-Baeza","year":"2018","journal-title":"AIDS Patient Care STDS"},{"issue":"4","key":"pone.0353993.ref007","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"305","DOI":"10.1097\/COH.0b013e32833a8844","article-title":"Contribution of sexually transmitted infections to the sexual transmission of HIV","volume":"5","author":"H Ward","year":"2010","journal-title":"Current Opinion in HIV and AIDS"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0353993.ref008","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"23","DOI":"10.1177\/1757913918778872","article-title":"Sexualised drug taking among men who have sex with men: a systematic review","volume":"139","author":"A Tomkins","year":"2019","journal-title":"Perspect Public Health"},{"key":"pone.0353993.ref009","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"333","DOI":"10.1080\/19371918.2013.774665","article-title":"Substance Use Disorders and HIV\/AIDS Prevention and Treatment Intervention: Research and Practice Considerations","volume":"28","author":"ANC Campbell","year":"2013","journal-title":"Social Work in Public Health"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0353993.ref010","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"7","DOI":"10.1038\/s41585-021-00527-4","article-title":"HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis and sexually transmitted infections: intersection and opportunity","volume":"19","author":"J Stewart","year":"2022","journal-title":"Nat Rev Urol"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0353993.ref011","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"294","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph20010294","article-title":"Engagement in chemsex among men who have sex with men (MSM) in Malaysia: prevalence and associated factors from an online national survey","volume":"20","author":"F Maviglia","year":"2022","journal-title":"International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health"},{"key":"pone.0353993.ref012","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"110","DOI":"10.1016\/j.drugalcdep.2015.11.016","article-title":"Amphetamine-type stimulant use among men who have sex with men (MSM) in Vietnam: Results from a socio-ecological, community-based study","volume":"158","author":"NTT Vu","year":"2016","journal-title":"Drug Alcohol Depend"},{"key":"pone.0353993.ref013","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"31","DOI":"10.1016\/j.drugpo.2018.10.002","article-title":"Chemsex among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men in Singapore and the challenges ahead: A qualitative study","volume":"61","author":"RKJ Tan","year":"2018","journal-title":"Int J Drug Policy"},{"issue":"10","key":"pone.0353993.ref014","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"390","DOI":"10.29322\/IJSRP.10.10.2020.p10653","article-title":"Patterns of sexual risk behavior among men who have sex with men in major cities of Myanmar: A cross-sectional study","volume":"10","author":"KM Htut","year":"2020","journal-title":"IJSRP"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0353993.ref015","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"63","DOI":"10.1186\/s12889-018-6351-3","article-title":"\u201cWe are not gays\u2026 don\u2019t tell me those things\u201d: engaging \u2018hidden\u2019 men who have sex with men and transgender women in HIV prevention in Myanmar","volume":"19","author":"V Veronese","year":"2019","journal-title":"BMC Public Health"},{"key":"pone.0353993.ref016","volume-title":"Violence Against Health Care in Myanmar","year":"2022"},{"key":"pone.0353993.ref017","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.18356\/9789211070514","volume-title":"Myanmar Opium Survey 2024","author":"United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime","year":"2024"},{"key":"pone.0353993.ref018","year":"2021"},{"issue":"4","key":"pone.0353993.ref019","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.15585\/mmwr.rr7004a1","article-title":"Sexually Transmitted Infections Treatment Guidelines, 2021","volume":"70","author":"KA Workowski","year":"2021","journal-title":"MMWR Recommendations and Reports"},{"key":"pone.0353993.ref020","author":"R Baxter","year":"2023"}],"container-title":["PLOS One"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/dx.plos.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0353993","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,17]],"date-time":"2026-07-17T17:29:45Z","timestamp":1784309385000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/dx.plos.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0353993"}},"subtitle":[],"editor":[{"given":"Daniel","family":"Demant","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"editor"}]}],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,17]]},"references-count":20,"journal-issue":{"issue":"7","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,17]]}},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0353993","relation":{},"ISSN":["1932-6203"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1932-6203","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,17]]}}}