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Pleasure and Vulnerability: A Cross-Sectional Study on Sexualized Drug Use, Motivations and Structural
Blanca Romero-Panadero1,2, Paule Gonzalez-Recio3,4, Cristina García-Marín5
1Servicio de Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública, Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal, IRYCIS.
Journal of Sex Research
|July 16, 2026
Summary
Sexualized drug use (SDU) affects 10.5% of trans and/or non-binary people (TNBP), often driven by emotion regulation. This practice is linked to systemic vulnerabilities and violence, requiring targeted public health interventions.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Sociology
- Gender Studies
Background:
- Sexualized drug use (SDU) is an understudied phenomenon within trans and/or non-binary populations (TNBP).
- Understanding motivations and associated factors is crucial for targeted interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the prevalence of SDU among TNBP.
- To examine gender differences in substance use during SDU.
- To identify motivations for SDU and factors associated with emotion regulation-driven SDU.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional online survey with 1772 participants (aged ≥15) in Spain.
- Recruitment via social media and gender identity units.
- Poisson regression used to analyze factors associated with emotion regulation-driven SDU.
Main Results:
- 10.5% of TNBP reported SDU; cannabis, poppers, and ecstasy were most common.
- Pleasure was the primary motivation for most, while emotion regulation was cited by others.
- Emotion regulation-driven SDU associated with trans men, non-binary identities, migrant background, lower SES, anxiety, and past physical violence.
Conclusions:
- SDU in TNBP is linked to structural vulnerabilities and systemic discrimination.
- Public health policies must address the specific needs and motivations of TNBP regarding SDU.
- Interventions should consider the impact of violence and discrimination on substance use practices.
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