Methamphetamine Use Practices, Motivations, and Perceived Benefits and Risks: Exploring Differences Between Males and Females

Methamphetamine use has increased across the US. To develop adequate interventions, understanding differences in male and female methamphetamine use is critical. Conducted in Dayton, Ohio, this study explores sex differences in attitudes and practices of methamphetamine use. Between 12/2019 and 11/2021, the study recruited 91 participants. Bivariate analyses were used to identify sex differences. Of the 91 participants, 52.7% were female, 95.6% were non-Hispanic white, and the mean age was 42.4 (SD 10.6) years. Age of methamphetamine initiation was similar for males and females (31.7 vs. 29.3). Participants reported multiple reasons for methamphetamine use, but females were more likely to report use to quit opioids (60.4% vs. 39.5%, <i>p</i> = .047), lose weight (35.4% vs. 14.0%, <i>p</i> = .019), and self-treat ADHD symptoms (43.8% vs. 16.3%, <i>p</i> = .005). Females were more likely to endorse increased productivity (81.3% vs. 48.8%, <i>p</i> = .001) as a benefit of methamphetamine use. Females were also more likely to endorse the following perceived risks of methamphetamine: depression (91.7% vs. 74.4%, <i>p</i> = .027), skin problems (100.0% vs. 76.2%, <i>p</i> = <0.001), aggression/violence (93.8% vs. 65.1%, <i>p</i> = <0.001), risk of HIV/AIDS (85.4% vs. 60.5%, <i>p</i> = .007), teeth problems (100.0% vs. 90.7%, <i>p</i> = .032), exposure to fentanyl contamination (81.3% vs. 55.8%, <i>p</i> = .009), and increased risk of an overdose (39.6% vs. 16.3%, <i>p</i> = .014).