Integrating Sexual Pleasure Into Harm Reduction Services for Men Who Have Sex With Men and Transgender Persons Who Engage in Chemsex or Substance Use in Thailand

NCT07509853 | Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: IHRI040
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 300
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The study evaluates the integration of a sexual pleasure-based approach into harm reduction services for MSM and transgender persons engaging in chemsex or substance use in Thailand, using the "Pleasuremeter" tool to improve sexual health and related outcomes.

Conditions

HIV Prevention; Substance Use; Mental Health; Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs); Chemsex

Keywords

PrEP, Harm reduction, Chemsex, Transgender, Sexual pleasure

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Willingness to engage in sexual pleasure discussions assessed using the Pleasuremeter tool

  The primary outcome is the proportion of participants who agree to engage in structured discussions on sexual pleasure using the Pleasuremeter, a structured assessment tool covering 7 domains: * Physical and psychological satisfaction * Self-determination * Consent * Safety * Privacy * Confidence * Communication/negotiation Willingness will be assessed at each study visit (baseline, month 3, month 6) based on participant acceptance or refusal to complete the Pleasuremeter assessment.

  Baseline, Month 3, and Month 6 (over 6 months follow-up)

• Sexual pleasure score assessed by the Pleasuremeter (0-10 scale)

  Sexual pleasure will be measured using the Pleasuremeter, a composite self-reported scale assessing 7 domains of sexual experience. * Scale range: 0 to 10 * Minimum value: 0 (lowest level of sexual pleasure) * Maximum value: 10 (highest level of sexual pleasure) * Interpretation: Higher scores indicate better sexual pleasure and satisfaction Scores may be analyzed as: * Overall composite score * Domain-specific scores

  Baseline, Month 3, and Month 6

Study Arms (2)

Pre-implementation Phase (Qualitative)

OTHER

Participants (MSM, transgender/gender-diverse individuals, and healthcare providers) will participate in one-time in-depth interviews (IDIs) to explore understanding, cultural relevance, and appropriateness of the Pleasuremeter tool in the Thai context.

Behavioral: Pleasuremeter-guided qualitative interview

Implementation Phase (Single-arm Intervention Study)

OTHER

Participants (MSM and transgender/gender-diverse individuals engaging in chemsex/substance use) will receive a multi-component intervention integrating the Pleasuremeter tool into routine study visits over 6 months (baseline, month 3, month 6).

Behavioral: Pleasuremeter-based sexual pleasure discussion integrated with harm reduction services

Interventions

Pleasuremeter-guided qualitative interview BEHAVIORAL

Semi-structured in-depth interviews guided by the Pleasuremeter framework, covering 7 domains of sexual pleasure: * Physical and psychological satisfaction * Self-determination * Consent * Safety * Privacy * Confidence * Communication/negotiation

Pre-implementation Phase (Qualitative)

Pleasuremeter-based sexual pleasure discussion integrated with harm reduction services BEHAVIORAL

Participants will undergo: * Sexual pleasure assessment using Pleasuremeter (0-10 scale, 3-month recall) * Behavioral risk and substance use assessment * HIV/STI testing * Mental health screening using Electronic Mental Wellness Tool (e-mwTool) * Social and stigma assessment * Harm reduction services (drug literacy, counseling, referral, harm reduction kits) The intervention aims to facilitate structured discussions on sexual pleasure within harm reduction services.

Implementation Phase (Single-arm Intervention Study)

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Gender Eligibility Details: MSM and transgender / gender diverse populations
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• MSM, transgender women, transgender men, or non-binary persons
• Age ≥18 years
• Engaged in chemsex or substance use within past 12 months
• Able to provide informed consent

You may not qualify if:

• Unable to communicate in Thai sufficiently to complete study procedures

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Institute of HIV Research and Innovation Foundation, Thailand: lead

Study Sites (1)

Tangerine Clinic, Institute of HIV Research and Innovation

Pathum Wan, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand

RECRUITING

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Substance-Related Disorders; Psychological Well-Being; Sexually Transmitted Diseases; Chemsex; Harm Reduction

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Chemically-Induced Disorders; Mental Disorders; Personal Satisfaction; Behavior; Communicable Diseases; Infections; Genital Diseases; Urogenital Diseases; Disease Attributes; Pathologic Processes; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Sexual Behavior

Study Officials

• Akarin Hiransuthikul, MD,MSc

  Chulalongkorn University

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Nittaya Phanuphak, MD,PhD.

CONTACT

6681 825 3544; nittaya.p@ihri.org

Akarin Hiransuthikul, MD,MSc

CONTACT

662 252 7864; akarin.h@chula.ac.th

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NON RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: PREVENTION
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: March 22, 2026
• First Posted: April 3, 2026
• Study Start: May 1, 2025
• Primary Completion (Estimated): May 1, 2027
• Study Completion (Estimated): May 1, 2028
• Last Updated: April 8, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-03

Locations

TH (1)