Some of those in treatment for substance abuse indicated that a readiness to admit their same-sex activity and come to terms with their homosexuality/bisexuality was necessary for recovery. Participants described alcohol use and drug transactions, use, and addiction as motivating sex with men, allowing and rationalizing same-sex activity and unprotected sex, and facilitating access to male sex partners. Drug use was identified as playing a central role in same-sex sexuality for many African American MSM/MSMW.
Alcohol, crack cocaine, and crystal methamphetamine were the primary drugs mentioned by participants. Focus group transcripts were analyzed using consensual qualitative research techniques. A total of 29 men self-identified as HIV-infected and 17 self-identified as uninfected. Between July 2005 and February 2006, we conducted seven focus groups with 46 predominately low socioeconomic status African American MSM/MSMW. We examined the role of drug use and addiction in same-sex sexuality among non-gay-identifying African American men who have sex with men or with both men and women (MSM/MSMW).
