The Impact of Meth Use on Same-Gender-Loving Communities with Dr. David Malebranche

Healing Conversations for Men Who Have Sex with Men

Dr. David Malebranche is a Board Certified Internist and HIV specialist who worked in academia as a clinician-investigator with Emory University’s Division of Medicine from 2001 to 2012. Currently, Dr. David serves as an Associate Professor for the Morehouse School of Medicine. Today’s topic covers Dr. David’s relationship with his father, how to be intimate during the COVID-19 Pandemic, as well as HIV & meth use demographics and what we can do about it.

TAKEAWAYS:

[4:00] The book that Dr. David wrote, Standing on His Shoulders, is a tribute to his father.

[7:50] Dr. David wanted to finish the book before his father passed away. He was in his 80s when Dr. David was writing it and he really wanted to celebrate his father’s life and wisdom while he was still alive.

[8:30] The need for intimacy during the COVID-19 pandemic?

[11:10] People would rather take the chance to get HIV or an STI than wear a condom so that they can gain closer intimacy with their partner.

[13:30] We need intimacy during these times, but find ways to substitute it for now, whether that be through emotional intimacy or porn.

[20:20] Within 20 years, meth use has changed and a new generation has become hooked on it.

[26:10] Dr. David is concerned about how COVID-19 is going to highlight the health disparities within the black and black gay men communities.

[28:45] Since Dr. David has had the privilege to work with so many young people in his community, what’s currently worrying them and keeping them up at night?

[31:50] Dr. David is very optimistic about the future of medicine and where our youth will be taking it.

RESOURCES:

Dr. David on Wikipedia

Dr. David on Twitter

Standing on His Shoulders: What I Learned about Race, Life, and High Expectations from My Haitian Superman Father by Dr. David Malebranche

QUOTES:

• “The journey and how hard my [Haitian immigrant] father had to work to get to where he was and how he passed that on to me, it wasn’t so much of a curse or some kind of trauma, but more so a blessing.”
• “The best sexual partner is yourself.”

• “The concern I have about COVID-19 is not just the physical and health disparities that are going to fall on black communities and black gay men, but also the economic and social isolation/long-term mental health complications that we’re going to see.”