The Approach to the Health of Gay Men who Consume Substances in Mexico: an Approach through Focus Groups

Abstract

Introduction: gay men (GM) in Mexico face specific health challenges due to their sexual orientation (SO). The relationship between substance use (SU) and healthcare in this population has been underexplored.

Objective: to analyze the experiences and expectations of Mexican gay men who use substances in healthcare settings to generate recommendations for improving their healthcare approach.

Method: focus groups were conducted to gather insights from 19 gay men who use substances. A directed content analysis was performed using four categories: experiences in health services, expectations for ideal healthcare services, care strategies and self-care, and issues to address in potential health interventions.

Results: participants reported predominantly negative experiences in health services, primarily attributed to discrimination and rejection based on SU and SO. Faced with shared experience of SU in gay socialization environments, the gay men resorted to self-care practices and provided suggestions to enhance their care.

Discussion and Conclusions: the findings underscore the importance of non-prohibitionist specialized care, free from stigma or discrimination based on SU and SO. It is recommended to incorporate protocols and care proposals for substance use within a harm reduction framework.