Call for abstacts.

The Asia-Pacific Chemsex Symposium (APCS) is a regional platform that brings together communities, healthcare providers, researchers, policymakers, international organisations, donors, and private sector partners to address the evolving impact of chemsex in the Asia-Pacific region. Since its launch in Taiwan in 2019, APCS has fostered cross-country dialogue, knowledge exchange and collaborative action to promote people-centred, stigma-free approaches that integrate HIV, sexual health, mental health and harm reduction.

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Chemsex (i.e., sexualised drug use involving substances such as methamphetamine and GHB/GBL) is an emerging public health and community concern across the region, particularly among key populations. Associated with increased risks of HIV and STI transmission, mental health challenges, overdose, and social harms, chemsex is further shaped by stigma, criminalization, and unequal access to services.

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In 2026, APCS returns to Taiwan and will be held in Kaohsiung during Taiwan Pride week, bringing together regional and global stakeholders to share evidence, lived experiences, innovations, and strategies that strengthen inclusive, community-led responses to chemsex across the Asia-Pacific.

 

 

APCS 2026 aims to:

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• Strengthen regional knowledge-sharing and collaboration.

• Amplify community voices and lived experiences.

• Advance evidence-informed and integrated responses to chemsex.

• Promote enabling policies and supportive environments.

• Foster resilient, community-led systems of care across the Asia-Pacific

 

We invite abstracts that showcase research, policy developments, programme implementation, community-led initiatives, service innovations, and lived experiences that contribute to a deeper understanding of chemsex and strengthen responses across the region.

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