Chemsex, HIV Prevention, Mental Health, Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs), Substance Use
Conditions
Keywords
PrEP, Harm reduction, Chemsex, Transgender, Sexual pleasure
Brief summary
The study evaluates the integration of a sexual pleasure-based approach into harm reduction services for MSM and transgender persons engaging in chemsex or substance use in Thailand, using the "Pleasuremeter" tool to improve sexual health and related outcomes.
Detailed description
This is a sequential exploratory mixed-methods implementation study conducted at IHRI clinics in Bangkok. The study includes a pre-implementation phase (qualitative interviews) and an implementation phase where the adapted "Pleasuremeter" is integrated into harm reduction services. Approximately 300 participants will be enrolled and followed at baseline, month 3, and month 6. Outcomes include sexual pleasure, behavioral risk, substance use, HIV/STI testing, mental health, and socio-legal factors. The study also evaluates acceptability, satisfaction, and feasibility of integrating a pleasure-based approach into existing services.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALPleasuremeter-guided qualitative interview
Semi-structured in-depth interviews guided by the Pleasuremeter framework, covering 7 domains of sexual pleasure: * Physical and psychological satisfaction * Self-determination * Consent * Safety * Privacy * Confidence * Communication/negotiation
BEHAVIORALPleasuremeter-based sexual pleasure discussion integrated with harm reduction services
Participants will undergo: * Sexual pleasure assessment using Pleasuremeter (0-10 scale, 3-month recall) * Behavioral risk and substance use assessment * HIV/STI testing * Mental health screening using Electronic Mental Wellness Tool (e-mwTool) * Social and stigma assessment * Harm reduction services (drug literacy, counseling, referral, harm reduction kits) The intervention aims to facilitate structured discussions on sexual pleasure within harm reduction services.
Sponsors
Institute of HIV Research and Innovation Foundation, Thailand
Study design
Allocation
NON_RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* MSM, transgender women, transgender men, or non-binary persons * Age ≥18 years * Engaged in chemsex or substance use within past 12 months * Able to provide informed consent
Exclusion criteria
• Unable to communicate in Thai sufficiently to complete study procedures
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Willingness to engage in sexual pleasure discussions assessed using the Pleasuremeter tool | Baseline, Month 3, and Month 6 (over 6 months follow-up) | The primary outcome is the proportion of participants who agree to engage in structured discussions on sexual pleasure using the Pleasuremeter, a structured assessment tool covering 7 domains: * Physical and psychological satisfaction * Self-determination * Consent * Safety * Privacy * Confidence * Communication/negotiation Willingness will be assessed at each study visit (baseline, month 3, month 6) based on participant acceptance or refusal to complete the Pleasuremeter assessment. |
| Sexual pleasure score assessed by the Pleasuremeter (0-10 scale) | Baseline, Month 3, and Month 6 | Sexual pleasure will be measured using the Pleasuremeter, a composite self-reported scale assessing 7 domains of sexual experience. * Scale range: 0 to 10 * Minimum value: 0 (lowest level of sexual pleasure) * Maximum value: 10 (highest level of sexual pleasure) * Interpretation: Higher scores indicate better sexual pleasure and satisfaction Scores may be analyzed as: * Overall composite score * Domain-specific scores |
Countries
Thailand
Contacts
CONTACTNittaya Phanuphak, MD,PhD.
CONTACTAkarin Hiransuthikul, MD,MSc
PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORAkarin Hiransuthikul, MD,MSc
Chulalongkorn University
Outcome results
None listed