• Do drugs have an impact on your sexual desire? If so, what’s the impact? We know that on ecstasy, people feel greater emotional closeness, and that GHB has a reputation for making people want to have sex. The idea is to think about these effects when you’re making your decisions.
• Are you doing what you want to do?
• Do you feel happy, comfortable and safe?
• Is what you’re doing meeting your desires?
• Does anyone else know where you are and who you’re with?
• Have you thought about methods for STBBI prevention, like condoms, dental dams and so on?

While non-verbal signals are important when you’re having sex, don’t hesitate to use verbal communication, especially if a situation feels unclear. In this context:

• Ask the other person if they like what’s happening.
• Find out about what the person likes if this is your first time having sex with the person.

When pleasure is shared, everyone benefits and feels good. When in doubt, it’s always good to ask the other person questions. If you don’t feel good, it’s good to say so.

*This section is inspired in part by the video Sex, Drugs and Safety from the Global Drug Survey.

When you’re using substances and having sex, don’t forget to think about STBBI and pregnancy prevention, assuming you don’t want to get pregnant. And considering that substances alter your senses, plan what you’re going to do about this before you start the party.

To help you think about all this, here are a few tips:

Before

• If you inhale or inject drugs, bring enough materials to last you the whole festival. It’s better to bring more material than you need than to run out in the middle of the party. You can get injection materials at some drugstores or through community organizations.
• Bring enough condoms and lube (have a few kinds in your bag, for example). Better to have too much than not enough.
• Think about what kind of experiences you want to have and what kind you don’t want to have. Negotiate the STBBI prevention strategies you want to put in place.
• If you’re living with HIV, prepare your medication doses before you take drugs and find a way to remind yourself to take them, such as setting a phone alarm.

During

• Take smaller quantities while you’re having sex.
• Take less when you’re having sex with new partners or with partners you don’t know well.
• Choose substances you already know well and limit your mixing.
• Choose sexual activities that suit how you’re feeling.
• If you feel like you’re too high, take a break.
• Don’t share your drug materials, such as straws, syringes or stericups, because there’s a risk of HIV and hepatitis C transmission.
• If you’re living with HIV, don’t forget that some HIV meds increase the effects of drugs. Wait at least 30 minutes after taking your HIV meds before taking drugs, and start with a half-dose.

After

• If the condom breaks or you don’t use one, you can get emergency oral contraception at a drugstore without a prescription.
• If you think you might have been exposed to HIV, go to the emergency room or certain drugstores within 72 hours (three days) to get a preventive treatment called post-exposure prophylaxis.
• Make an appointment at a medical clinic to get tested for STBBIs.