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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 17, 2003)
adata 17.2003 IS THE PARTY UFE ALL ITS CRACKED UP TO BE? To date this year, Mult nomah County reports 31 new cases of syphilis, 23 of which are among MSM. Of these, eight are known to be HIV-positive, as well. Mult nomah County minces no words and calls this a “syphilis epidemic." “1 probably would not have been unsafe if I was n ’t high," says meth user Wade. “Meth was the rea son the experience hap pened. It took away my eth does some rotten things to the body. inhibitions and allowed Its worst effect is to damage the brain’s me to engage in unsafe sex K ä neurotransmitters. This damage can because getting laid was heal a little if using stops, but recent studies more important than the have shown that that may not be enough to consequences.” make up for natural losses in those neurotrans Area health organiza mitters that come with the normal aging tions are fighting process. Long-term use affects the user’s skin, meth with all their producing pock marks resources. Outside and “crank bugs,” which In, for instance, come from an itchy feel works with at-risk Astronauts ing just under the skin youth to get them and tweakers that causes users to into treatment. can get scratch until they bleed. Recognizing that many people will Meth also constricts the pretty thirsty! y blood supply to the use no matter Tivrt's wMy it's so important to drink lots ol Tang txdoc« any teeth and gums, causing what, counselors mission or omission teach harm reduc nasty oral health prob lems. Studies show that tion—tactics to long-term meth use can reduce as much as adversely affect the possible the harm ful effects of meth. heart, lungs, liver, kid neys and digestive sys SitTtple things, tem. It can cause dehy such as staying well ïxtt4 sfi m fítm ttím « I dration and malnutri hydrated. tion just by keeping Staff and volun people up and partying teers at CAP hand out posters and for days on end. Long brochures. They do term users often end up Ads from Seattle’s CrystalNeon.org Amphetazine publication (left and top left) use humor with high levels of para one-on-one out to promote harm reduction, while posters from San Francisco’s Tweaker.org (top right) reach, individual noia and psychosis. and Washington County Sheriff’s Office (above) take a more daunting approach coaxing and coach The most ravaging effects of meth use in the sexual minorities com University of Washington’s Northwest AIDS and-play). It started with tweaking and forget- ing. They also teach harm reduction to meth munity, however, may not he the physical effects Education and Training Center, reports that a ting a condom and, ‘Oh well, stick it in any users. Recently, Multnomah County awarded a of the dnig itself. staggering 47 percent of MSM meth injectors in way.’ But now it’s almost expected in party- contract to CAP to build and distribute a major “Crystal meth is the biggest problem that Seattle/King County are HIV-positive. “This is and-play. It’s expected that if you party and meth campaign including posters, brcx:hures and gay men in Portland face,” says Knowlton. “It’s the highest HIV prevalence in Washington you’re tweaking, you will have bareback [no a 'zine. The message isn’t lost on Knowlton. He says, “It shows how bad the meth problem is in most certainly the cause of our spiked HIV and state,” he says. “This rate is two times the rate of condom] sex." In Portland’s MSM community, syphilis rates Portland that the county is willing to shell out STD rates, as well as a link in the chain MSM who do not shoot meth, and it’s 12 to 16 regarding the renewed popularity of bathhous- times the rate of Seattle/King County hetero- are through the rcxif. The Multnomah County this money in these economic times.” es, public sex and Internet hookups— the sexual drug injectors." And in case you think Health Department reports that 18 of 2002’s 38 eth also happens to be one of the hardest whole party-and-play thing, being high all you’re safe because you don’t inject, Carroll new syphilis cases were among MSM. Of these, drugs to kick and one of the easiest on weekend and just looking for as many sex part reminds, “The primary route of HIV transmis- 50 percent were also HIV-positive, 90 percent which to grow psychologically dependent. ners as you can have.” sion in these cases is sexual.” were older than 30, and 100 percent reported And here statistics prove it. “Just log onto a chat room," Knowlton meeting partners via the Internet, bathhouses, Continued on Page 30 Robert Carroll, education coordinator for says. “Read all the lines about PNP [party- bars or adult bookstores. around five to eight years for a Class B felony and three to five years for a Class C. Sentenc ing varies according to extenuating circum stances, which could lengthen or shorten the sentence, especially for cases in which chil dren are involved. Many felons don’t serve their entire sen tence because of Oregon’s budget crisis. The Portland Police Bureau admits it doesn’t have the manpower to go after users. 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