Chemsex Epidemic In Thailand

Someone is opening a bag of crystal meth before meeting someone for a chemsex encounter at their home in Bangkok, Thailand, on July 24, 2024. Someone is smoking crystal meth out of a pipe before meeting someone for a chemsex encounter at their home in Bangkok, Thailand, on July 24, 2024. Chemsex, the act of consuming chemicals to enhance sexual pleasure, is taking a deadly hold on the LGBTQ community worldwide and is thriving in Thailand's deeply ingrained societal stigmas related to sex and drug use. Even with access to HIV-prevention medication like PReP, chemsex is driving higher rates of HIV transmission, with studies showing that chemsex participants are up to five times more likely to contract HIV compared to those who do not partake. (Photo by Matt Hunt/NurPhoto via Getty Images)