Identity matters in understanding gay and bisexual men’s drug practices

This thesis explored the discourses, contexts, and contingencies shaping injection drug use (IDU) among gay and bisexual men (GBM) in Australia. Situated within a critical realist framework it presents a multi-method analysis of academic discourses on GBM substance use, GBM’s experiences surrounding IDU, and a sexuality-based comparison of injecting practices among men in Melbourne. Findings suggest IDU is shaped by complex interrelationships between available materials, individual skills, and shared understandings. Addressing the ‘exceptionalism’ which positions GBM and their drug practices as ‘other’; the stigma-perpetuating discourses; and the hegemony of epidemiological knowledge-generation, could make a meaningful contribution to GBM’s wellbeing.