A University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health study of 1,378 gay and bisexual men aged 44-63, both HIV-positive and negative, found use of poppers, crack, cocaine, methamphetamine, and ecstasy to be “infrequent” among 79 percent of participants, while there was still “nearly 6 percent who reported consistently high drug use; more than 7 percent who increased their drug use; and 7 percent who decreased their use of drugs.” Which, uh, sure equals things out.
Bob
Since when are poppers, which can be bought legally, over the counter, in the same class as crack, cocaine, methamphetamine and ecstacy?
Fitz
Useless numbers when you do something as dumb as counting poppers with amphetamine or coke. If you count poppers as “partying” then you are too naive to work with this population.
Samwise
I don’t get it. Was there a “never used them to begin with” category? Because “infrequent” could mean anything. It could mean “never.” It could mean “that one time in college.” It could also mean “once a year, at the White Party.”
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
Bunch of liarheads!! :-p
AladinSane
Considering what frequent use of poppers does to your brain, yea, I’m not at all surprised it’s grouped with meth, etc…
*
considering what use of poppers does for hiv transmission, I’m not surprised it’s in that category either
Roger Rabbit
Ok, there is NO evidence that poppers increases HIV transmission or decreases the immune system. And from my experience, I’m FAR more likely to get exposed to HIV from Alcohol than popper use.
Joey O'H
I only want the poppers if it’s going to transform me back to 1982 on the dancefloor at the DCA in Phildelphia.
JohnnyTrue
This survey might be skewed a bit, but I don’t think that there is no denying that drug use is more common in general in the LGBT community than the ‘straight’ community. I don’t know how much though.
Certainly in younger ‘straight’ clubs it’s ridiculous, but when they tend to be for the non-youthful crowds I think most ‘straight’ places get a little more uptight and therefore there is just less exposure. I think at many ‘gay’ parties or bars things tend to be a little less uptight and there is more co-generational mingling, so there is going to be more exposure. With that there would be, i think, more use.
Tantrum
Is anyone really surprised? Crystal use in the gay community is nothing less than epidemic and yet it is rarely mentioned.
Coxygru
Gee, a similar study of straights (both HIV+ and HIV-) would certainly give vastly similar stats…
John B
What do poppers do to your brain?
Is there any evidence for that? And is there evidence that poppers increase HIV infection?
MCH
Poppers are not like hard drugs for Christ’s sakes people. Get a grip! You are more likely to get HIV from eating pancakes with syrup than you are with poppers. What stupid drivel. Blah blah blah. Poppers can be very fun but nobody talks about it much.
Todd
Please find me some research that shows that popper use leads to higher risk of HIV or has any long term health consequences at all.
Good luck, because there isn’t any. It’s ridiculous to group poppers in with drug like meth and crack, drugs which have obvious and documented health consequences.
Marcus
Defending poppers is like defending huffing glue. Yes, it’s toxic, goes to your brain. They are a drug, and nasty and harmful to your body. You don’t think it’s toxic? Go drink some, then head to the ER as it burns your insides. Dumb tacky queens.
MCH
MARCUS: That is blatantly not true. Go to Dr. Weil’s site and you will clearly see that poppers are not a health danger in any way, are easily secreted from the body and are not harmful to you in any manner. You are misinformed, not to mention rude & obnoxious. Get your facts straight before you insult people. It’s disrespectful & uncalled for.
popper head
Gee, this is the very first time I ever considered myself to be involved in ‘pnp’ activity simply because I used poppers. I have used poppers on and off…more on… since I was 16. I came out at 18 and am now 50, extremely healty, happy, professional making a stellar income and oh, did I mention that I am hiv negative even though I still love to suck cock?….while doing poppers?
Stupid study that could have given us some useful results had it been designed correctly.
Peter
Poppers have been linked with increased likelihood of Kaposi’s sarcoma in gay male AIDS patients in the past, so they definitely can have a bad effect on the body.
Single people, I think, whether hetero or homo, are more likely to engage in drug use than couples. There are many straights, from my experience, who party hard (although with different drugs) until they get hitched – and sometimes beyond too. Older single gay men are more likely to party than couples.
Age, plus the long-term effects of smoking, can lead to erectile dysfunction, decreased physical sensitivity, and/or problems just getting off. Some guys turn to drugs to improve their sex lives, especially if they’ve tried drugs in their pasts. Maintaining an active social nightlife gets more difficult as men age too, due to increased need for recovery. Drugs help some guys stay connected to the scene. The benefits for them outweigh the risks, I suppose.
Parker
so all things good that make my ass twinge are a no no? tina bootie bumps? poppers? smoking crack while my nuts are fondled? what’s left in life if you take away theses simple pleasures????
just sayin
I agree with the others, when you lump poppers into you results it demeans your entire argument.
Poppers are pretty safe compounds. http://www.allaboutpoppers.com
And, just about ever ‘study’ that tried to link poppers to HIV transmission, or AIDS, or any of its opportunistic infections (including KS) were later debunked and shown to be flawed — some blatantly so.
As far of harming brain cells, that’s a huge myth, too.
And, like other posters here, I’ve been doing poppers nearly daily for nearly 40 years and am excellent health, HIV- and happily continuing to use RUSH poppers while I surf the web for great porn. That keeps me off the streets so to speak — the safest of safer sex I’d say!!