Substance Use as a Mechanism for Social Inclusion among Gay, Bisexual, and Other Men Who Have Sex with Men in Vancouver, Canada

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dc.contributor.authorHawkins, Blake
dc.contributor.authorArmstrong, Heather L.
dc.contributor.authorKesselring, Sarah
dc.contributor.authorRich, Ashleigh J.
dc.contributor.authorCui, Zishan
dc.contributor.authorSereda, Paul
dc.contributor.authorHoward, Terry
dc.contributor.authorForrest, Jamie I.
dc.contributor.authorMoore, David M.
dc.contributor.authorLachowsky, Nathan J.
dc.contributor.authorHogg, Robert S.
dc.contributor.authorRoth, Eric A.
dc.date.accessioned2022-08-24T16:14:07Z
dc.date.available2022-08-24T16:14:07Z
dc.date.copyright2019en_US
dc.date.issued2019
dc.descriptionThe authors would like to thank the Momentum Health Study participants, office staff and community advisory board, as well as our community partner agencies, Health Initiative for Men, YouthCO HIV & Hep C Society, and Positive Living Society of BC.en_US
dc.description.abstractBackground: Previous research demonstrates that substance use preferences and social-sexual environments are highly interrelated for gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (gbMSM). Objective: We conducted a qualitative study to explore the socio-cultural context of substance use among local gbMSM communities in Metro Vancouver, Canada. Methods: Twenty gbMSM were purposively sampled from the larger Momentum Health Study cohort, a sexual health study of gbMSM in Greater Vancouver. Participants were demographically diverse in terms of HIV serostatus, age, income, ethnicity, and area of residence within the city and neighboring suburbs. Community maps generated by participants during formative research served as prompts for semi-structured interviews which were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. Thematic analysis identified three themes of common experience. Results: First, participants indicated that substance use is intrinsically social in Vancouver gbMSM communities and that it functions as both a means of social inclusion and exclusion. Second, a distinction was made between types of substances and the location and context of their use, with specific substances having particular uses and meanings. Third, analysis suggested that gbMSM change their substance use over the life course and that this is affected by shifting priorities as people age. Discussion: For Vancouver gbMSM communities, substance use serves several social-cultural functions and can simultaneously serve as both a potential facilitator and barrier for community connection. Future research and health programing should consider venue and context specific messaging and recognize the heterogeneity of substance use within the larger gbMSM population.en_US
dc.description.reviewstatusRevieweden_US
dc.description.scholarlevelFacultyen_US
dc.description.sponsorshipMomentum is funded through the National Institute on Drug Abuse (R01DA031055–01A1) and the Canadian Institutes for Health Research (MOP-107544, 143342, PJT-153139). NJL was supported by a CANFAR/CTN Postdoctoral Fellowship Award. DMM and NJL are supported by Scholar Awards from the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research (#5209, #16863). HLA is supported by a Postdoctoral Fellowship Award from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (Grant # MFE-152443). AJR is supported by a Frederick Banting and Charles Best Doctoral Research Award from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (#379361).en_US
dc.identifier.citationW. Hawkins, B., Armstrong, H. L., Kesselring, S., Rich, A. J., Cui, Z., Sereda, P., Howard, T., Forrest, J. I., Moore, D. M., Lachowsky, N. J., Hogg, R. S., & Roth, E. A. (2019). “Substance Use as a Mechanism for Social Inclusion among Gay, Bisexual, and Other Men Who Have Sex with Men in Vancouver, Canada.” Substance Use & Misuse, 54(12), 1945–1955. https://doi.org/10.1080/10826084.2019.1621901en_US
dc.identifier.urihttps://doi.org/10.1080/10826084.2019.1621901
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1828/14127
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.publisherSubstance Use & Misuseen_US
dc.subjectSubstance use
dc.subjectgbMSM health
dc.subjectsocial connectedness
dc.subjectqualitative
dc.subjectHIV/AIDS
dc.subjectCentre for Addictions Research of BC (CARBC)
dc.subjectCanadian Institute for Substance Use Research (CISUR)
dc.subject.departmentSchool of Public Health and Social Policy
dc.subject.departmentDepartment of Anthropology
dc.titleSubstance Use as a Mechanism for Social Inclusion among Gay, Bisexual, and Other Men Who Have Sex with Men in Vancouver, Canadaen_US
dc.typePostprinten_US

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