Sustained Health Initiatives of the Philippines
Madamo gid nga salamat, Iloilo!
The PsySE-HCPN Team would like to express our sincerest gratitude to Iloilo (and all our partners and participants) for being part of the PsySE-HCPN Training of Trainers.
Thank you from all of us at SHIP!
We’re on Webinar 4, HIV healthcare and mental health advocates! tinyurl.com/psyse2025web4
Join the PsySE-HCPN team to discuss “Compassion in Action: Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Strategies for PLHIV” this March 20!
We’re together again with our expert, Mr. Jaymar T. Patana, MS, RPsy from Ateneo de Manila University (AdMU), to tackle mental health first aid and suicide prevention for PLHIV, on March 20, 2025, Thursday, 10 am to 12 nn, via Zoom.
Please register here: tinyurl.com/psyse2025web4. And we’ll see you at the webinar on March 20!
Call for Abstracts! It’s the Academic Medical Education’s Asia-Pacific AIDS & Co-Infections Conference 2025! https://amededu.co/3A40Cj5
Don’t miss your chance to present your research at the 10th anniversary at #APACC2025! Submit your abstract today and be part of this unique and impactful opportunity to further the needs of HIV healthcare in the Asia-Pacific region.
Deadline is 7 March at 23:59 JST!
Submit your abstract here: amededu.co/3A40Cj5, and find the details to the conference here: amededu.co/3znktJE.
See you at the conference!
For many, chemsex is more than just drug use—it is often intertwined with deeper personal, social, and structural factors. In the Filipino MSM (men who have sex with men) community, chemsex may be a way to cope with loneliness, seek intimacy, or navigate the pressures of sexual and gender identity in a society that often marginalizes them. Yet, instead of being met with understanding, people who engage in chemsex are frequently subjected to blame, stigma, and discrimination. This not only isolates them but also creates significant barriers to accessing healthcare, HIV prevention, and harm reduction services.
The Philippine HIV response has made strides in prevention and treatment, but it largely overlooks the realities of sexualized drug use. Chemsex is often discussed in a way that emphasizes its risks—higher chances of HIV transmission, difficulties with antiretroviral treatment (ART) adherence, and mental health challenges—without recognizing the systemic failures that leave individuals underserved. Criminalization of drug use, fear of arrest, and moral judgment from healthcare providers drive people away from services rather than bringing them into care. When chemsex is framed solely as a personal failing rather than a public health issue, it becomes even harder for those who need help to seek it without fear.
The #ChemsexPH study showed the significant association between chemsex engagement and self-reported HIV status. From the analysis, Filipino MSM found that those who recently engaged in chemsex (in the last six months) were more than five times as likely to report living with HIV compared to those who did not engage in chemsex. Additionally, a history of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) was twice as common among MSM who reported chemsex participation, highlighting the need for integrated healthcare responses that address both drug use and sexual health. Importantly, while ART adherence was high among people living with HIV (PLHIV) in the study, recent chemsex engagement did not significantly predict non-adherence to ART. This challenges the commonly held assumption that chemsex necessarily leads to ART non-compliance and suggests that other structural factors, such as mental health and social support, may play a more crucial role in ensuring adherence.
For PLHIV who engage in chemsex, staying on ART can be a challenge. However, rather than assuming non-adherence is due to recklessness, we must acknowledge the structural and psychological barriers at play. Many who use drugs face daily struggles—unstable housing, mental health concerns, economic insecurity, and rejection from their families or communities. A healthcare system that treats them with dignity, rather than punishment, can make the difference between staying in care or falling through the cracks.
Methamphetamine, or shabu, remains the most commonly used substance in chemsex. While its effects—such as increased confidence, energy, and sexual pleasure—can be appealing, the absence of harm reduction services leaves individuals without crucial support in managing their use safely. The #ChemsexPH study highlights the importance of integrating harm reduction approaches into public health strategies to improve health outcomes and encourage healthcare engagement. By fostering a supportive environment that prioritizes care over punishment, individuals who seek help can access necessary services without fear of stigma or exclusion, ultimately promoting better health and well-being.
Harm reduction results in inclusive healthcare that is free of stigma and discrimination, providing access to peer support and health services that respect people’s dignity. Engagement in chemsex and addiction, like other health concerns, deserves medical attention and social support, not punishment. The research findings emphasize the urgent need for interventions tailored to the unique experiences of Filipino MSM engaged in chemsex, including expanding PrEP access, STI screening, mental health support, and community-led harm reduction initiatives.
By: Rod Olete
Technical Writer and #PsySE-SDN Project Lead,
Sustained Health Initiatives of the Philippines (SHIP)
It’s Part 3 of our webinar series! Join SHIP and the PsySE-HCPN team for “Screening and Assessing the Mental Health Situation of PLHIV”
HIV healthcare and mental health practitioners and advocates, do join us on February 20, 2025, Thursday, 10 am to 12 nn, via Zoom as we tackle these mental health topics with our expert: Mr. Jaymar T. Patana, MS, RPsy from Ateneo de Manila University (AdMU).
Kindly register here: tinyurl.com/psyse2025web3. See you at the webinar on Feb. 20!