Whether you are wondering about your consumption because chemsex is taking up too much space in your life, or you want to take back control or even stop, don’t stay on your own! On the occasion of Useful April, we have listed the resources and support options you can access.
Illustration : Laurier The Fox for têtu·
Online resources
Among voyeuristic news, alarming or approximate data, and the general nonsense spread on social networks, it can be hard to navigate when looking for information about chemsex. Here are reliable resources to learn about products, sexual health, risk reduction, and addiction.
- – On its site, the Aides association provides comprehensive resources on chemsex, its practice, psychoactive substances, sexuality and sexual health, as well as support for loved ones involved.
- – Towards Paris Sans Sida has, for its part, recently launched Parlons chems, a simple and intuitive platform designed like an app, where one can find concrete and non-judgmental information on products, sexual health, consent and support.
- – An original and interactive tool, ChemTest, developed by SPOT Paris of Aides and Checkpoint Paris, is a novel self-assessment tool for people who practice chemsex and wish to better understand their use. It offers a space for personal reflection that helps identify vulnerable situations, consider safer practices, and spot potential warning signs. Each journey leads to personalized feedback, with advice and resources available online or from support services.
- – The chemsex.be site offers a wealth of information on products, risk reduction, sex under chems, the mornings after, addiction mechanisms, etc.
- – The playsafe.fr site also distills a great deal of information on products, sexual health, and risk reduction.
Peer support and remote assistance
Would you like to find help or talk to other people who practice chemsex without travelling?
- – Aides has set up a 24/7 listening service by messaging on WhatsApp at the number 07 62 93 22 29. The association also offers a video discussion group among chemseusers wishing to disengage, every Thursday from 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM. On Facebook, the closed group Info Chemsex (by Aides) is dedicated to peer support among users, also available on Telegram.
- – Drogue Info Service can be reached anonymously and for free at 0800 23 13 13, every day from 8 AM to 2 AM, to learn about the effects and risks of drugs, take stock of your consumption or be guided to help. It is also possible to use the online chat, open from 2 PM to midnight Monday to Friday and from 2 PM to 8 PM on Saturday and Sunday.
- – Chems Pause, an association dedicated to prevention and harm reduction related to sex and substance use, with particular focus on chemsex, offers on Telegram a self-support group for people wishing to take a break or to stop their consumption of products.
- – Narcotics Anonymous also organizes online meetings dedicated to LGBTQI+ people, both remotely and in person.
In person
The support for people who practice chemsex draws on both community support and various medical or para-medical specialties according to the needs of the person concerned: general practice, psychology, psychiatry, addiction medicine, sexology, infectious diseases… If you feel comfortable with your general practitioner, or the doctor who prescribes your PrEP, do not hesitate to talk to them about your issues; they can be an attentive ear to avoid feeling alone and can support you, directing you to other qualified professionals if necessary.
In Paris
>> To talk with other people who practice chemsex
The SPOT Paris (formerly SPOT Beaumarchais) offers every Thursday an evening called Chemsex Break, which is a self-support group aimed at people who want to take a break, who are stopping or have already stopped chemsex and who wish to discuss this process. Possible topics include: not consuming chems, resisting cravings, dealing with a relapse, recognizing trigger factors, identifying supports, reclaiming a fulfilling sexuality, etc.
The association Chems Pause also runs open support groups for people who are in a period of questioning, who want to take a break or stop chems as well as those already engaged in this process. A health professional and a long-time abstinent person participate once a month to support participants in their approach. One Sunday per month, the association also offers a mixed group open to those concerned and their close ones (friends, family, partner…). It also organizes social activities (sport, arts, games, spirituality…) to strengthen bonds among its members and create a supportive community.
>> To access support
The SPOT Paris offers a peer-led welcome and support for a personalized approach. If needed, it can refer to professionals in sexual health, addiction medicine, psychology or sexology. Its drop-in service on Tuesdays is accessible without an appointment and allows for screening for all STIs, individual meetings with a community facilitator or a health mediator from the Checkpoint, to discuss chemsex, sexual health, emotional life, sexual violence, access to rights, sex work/escort work. Also on Tuesdays, from 7:30 PM to 9:30 PM, it runs a support group titled “Parlons chems” to inform and assess one’s situation, collectively.
Open six days a week, with or without an appointment, Checkpoint Paris develops a diversified approach to meet a wide range of needs, from prevention and sexual health care (screening, PrEP, PEP, vaccination) to specialized consultations in addiction medicine, sexology, mental health, transgender health pathways and harm reduction (RDR) for chemsex practitioners.
The 190, a community health center, offers a multidisciplinary care provision with consultations in general medicine, psychology, sexology, addiction medicine and psychiatry.
Hospital consultations, particularly in addiction medicine, psychiatry and infectious diseases, are also available as at Bichat, Saint-Louis, Cochin and Saint-Antoine as well as at the Moreau center in Tours. Marmottan Hospital, specializing in the follow-up of people suffering from addictions, also offers consultations and an hospitalization service.
In the region
>> The ARPA-Chemsex project
The ARPA-Chemsex project or “Improved Multidisciplinary Network Support”, run jointly by the Addiction Federation and Aides, has developed structures dedicated to people who practice chemsex, where they can find community support and a care offering:
- – In Aix-Marseille: the Csapa Villa Floréal (Montperrin University Hospital) and the Spot Longchamps (Aides).
- – In Bordeaux: the Ceid-addictions and the Aides mobilization site.
- – In Lyon: the Caarud Pause Diabolo (Le Mas association) and the Aides mobilization site.
- – In Montpellier: the Caarud Axess (Groupe SOS Solidarités) and the Spot de Montpellier (Aides).
>> Consultations at the hospital
- – In Marseille, a consultation is dedicated to people who practice chemsex at the European Hospital.
- – In Montpellier, the CHU addiction service also has strong expertise in chemsex.
And also:
- >> Across France, Aides conducts prevention and support actions around chemsex in its regional branches.
- >> Drogues Info Service has developed a search engine to find support tailored to your needs across France.
The Csapa
If you want to meet a health professional, the Centers for Care, Support and Prevention in Addictology (Csapa) welcome you free of charge and anonymously in all regions of France (find the Csapa nearest you here). You can receive medical and psychological care, as well as support for your withdrawal. These centers also welcome the relatives of dependent persons who need advice.
The Cegidd and Caarud for risk prevention
Apart from first aid, the Centers for Reception and Support for the Reduction of Risks for Drug Users (Caarud) are not places dedicated to medical support. However, you can find sterile equipment and information on different substances there, and you can also test your products there. Caarud also provide support to users in accessing housing, and in job placement or reintegration.
It is also possible to go to the Free Information, Screening and Diagnostic Centers (Cegidd) to get free screening for various STIs, and to obtain a PrEP prescription or post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) for HIV.
