Adding to the list of dangers of crystal meth for some gay men, new
research has uncovered signs of brain damage in HIV-positive people who
abuse the drug.

Published in the August issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry,
the research shows that HIV infection and methamphetamine abuse can
change the size of certain brain structures, which can manifest
difficulties in learning, solving problems, maintaining attention and
quickly processing information.

Researchers, led by Dr. Terry Jernigan of the HIV Neurobehavioral
Research Center of the University of California-San Diego, found that
meth abuse inflames parts of the brain that help people understand
(parietal cortex) and coordinate movements and motivation (basal
ganglia).

HIV infection, on the other hand, is associated with volume losses in
the parts that involve reasoning (cerebral cortex) and memory and
learning (hippocampus, basal ganglia).

The study involved 103 adults divided into four groups: HIV-positive
meth abusers, HIV-positive nonabusers, HIV-negative meth abusers and
HIV-negative nonabusers.

"In HIV-infected people, the cognitive impairments are associated with
decreased employment and vocational abilities, difficulties with
medication management, impaired driving performance and problems with
general activities of daily living, such as managing money," Jernigan
said, according to a press release from the National Institutes of
Health.

The findings add another layer of danger to repeated meth use, which
has been shown to increase chances for HIV infection by impairing
judgment about risky sexual behavior. The highly addictive substance,
which is a popular party drug in the gay community, can eventually rot
teeth, induce depression and destroy livelihoods.

Dan Carlson, co-founder of the HIV Forum, a grassroots group aimed at
preventing HIV transmission among gay and bisexual men in New York
City, said he is not surprised by the research.

"We have known for some time that HIV and crystal meth are toxic to the
brain," he said via e-mail to the PlanetOut Network. "This research
provides greater detail about how crystal harms the brain and takes the
next step in outlining real-life ramifications of use, such as impaired
memory and the inability to focus."

Carlson added the findings underscore the need for more effective
prevention efforts.

"We have to do what we can to de-glamorize this drug and implore with
gay men that using this drug can change the course of their lives," he
said.

AIDSmeds.com founder Peter Staley, who personally launched the
provocative "Buy crystal, get HIV free!" campaign in New York, agreed
the new findings alone will not be much of a deterrent.

"Unfortunately, I'm not sure people worry enough about possible future
health risks, like brain damage, when choosing their party drugs,"
Staley said. "For instance, most of us have tried cigarettes at least
once in our lives, even though they kill more Americans than any other
substance."

"Personally, I'm convinced my prior meth use has affected by memory and
attention skills," said Staley, who is HIV-positive. "And most of my
friends in recovery feel the same way."

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Source: Tom Musbach, PlanetOut Network

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