Ecstacy & Safe Sex (1993)

S.F. AIDS Foundation directs message at ecstasy users

SAN FRANCISCO, CA, APRIL 6, 1993 -- In response to the increasingly widespread use of the drug ecstasy, the San Francisco AIDS Foundation has developed informational cards that address the issue of safe sex while using the drug. The cards were developed in conjunction with the Haight-Ashbury Free Clinic and 18^th Street Services.

Ecstasy is the street name for MDMA, a chemical compound in the amphetamine family. The drug has gained widespread use in recent years among young people, especially those who are part of the late-night dance club scene.

The informational cards, designed to be passed out in bars and clubs, have a psychedelic image on one side and information about more responsible drug use and safe sex on the other. One card, for example, tells ecstasy users that the drug dehydrates the body, and advises drinking plenty of water and abstaining from alcohol consumption while using ecstasy. Another card deals with proper condom use, and recommends the use of water-based lubricants. The last card in the series of five tells ecstasy users, "Love Your Body," a positive message that encourages individuals to take care of themselves while under the influence.

"While these cards are not intended to encourage drug use," said Les Pappas of the AIDS Foundation's education department, "we recognize that young people are using ecstasy, and we want them to be as knowledgeable as possible. People who have sex while using the drug can easily fail to follow the appropriate precautions. We want to provide accurate, nonjudgmental information about ecstasy, health, sex, and HIV."

The cards also contain the number of a special informational hotline for people having questions about the drug and its effects.