A force against meth.Abuse of crystal methamphetamine is rampant among gay men in cities across the country, particularly in San Francisco San Francisco (săn frănsĭs`kō), city (1990 pop. 723,959), coextensive with San Francisco co., W Calif., on the tip of a peninsula between the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay, which are connected by the strait known as the Golden , where recent studies have shown that up to 20% of the city's gay and bisexual men use the drug. Many users then engage in unprotected sex Unprotected sex refers to any act of sexual intercourse in which the participants use no form of barrier contraception. Sexually transmitted infections Specifically, unprotected sex . Nearly one third of people who tested HIV-positive at the city clinic used the drug in the previous six months. To combat the problem city officials in late April announced the formation of the nation's first meth meth n. Methamphetamine hydrochloride. task force. "I consistently call crystal and HIV HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus), either of two closely related retroviruses that invade T-helper lymphocytes and are responsible for AIDS. There are two types of HIV: HIV-1 and HIV-2. HIV-1 is responsible for the vast majority of AIDS in the United States. a dual epidemic," said city supervisor and task force cochair Bevan Dufty, who is gay. "Simply saying crystal is bad or crystal kills is not going to resonate with anyone." The task force will look at ways to link existing services while putting forward the voices of people whose lives have been affected by the drug. The program also will include an online resource. |
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