HIV infections are rising among gay men, and research has suggested that crystal methamphetamine addiction, which lowers sexual inhibitions, may be fueling as many as one third of them. But meth is also fueling heterosexual HIV—as well as a book, Web, film and TV boom. Call it the meth confessional, in which current and former users share their experiences, hoping to inspire awareness, treatment and recovery. POZ’s picks:
Rock Bottom: Seven gay men—including a porn star, a big-deal designer and an HIV-positive man—describe their recovery. The HIV-positive man, for instance, tells how using meth lessened his guilt over being positive and let him have “bareback sex with strangers.” (outcast-films.com)
Beautiful Boy: A Father’s Journey Through His Son’s Addiction, by David Sheff, and Tweak: Growing Up on Methamphetamine, by Nic Sheff. Father-and-son memoirs follow Nic’s addiction from two perspectives, showing how risk taking and sexual insecurities can afflict folks of all orientations.
Frontline: The Meth Epidemic: The PBS series Frontline finds meth addiction in the heartland, too. The program traces its history from early use among West Coast motorcycle gangs to backyard manufacturing rings. (Netflix)
Want to confess your own meth addiction? Drop by experience.com/confessions, where users help each other to heal.
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