International Chemsex Conference: Optimising Support and Care for People Engaging in Chemsex
About the event
We warmly invite you to the Institute of Tropical Medicine (ITM) in Antwerp, Belgium, for a transdisciplinary conference dedicated to exploring the complex and multifaceted phenomenon of chemsex.
Building on the experience of previous international gatherings, this conference brings together a multidisciplinary group of experts to address the complex issues surrounding chemsex. Grounded in scientific evidence and focused on real-world impact, the event aims to strengthen care and support by promoting the practical implementation of research into everyday practice. Participants will engage in meaningful dialogue and knowledge exchange with people who engage in chemsex, community representatives, researchers, healthcare providers, therapists, social workers, and policymakers from around the world.
For whom?
We aim to bring together a large group of experienced experts who may share their experiences in supporting people who engage in chemsex, from a therapeutic, health-care facility or community-based, or peer support setting. The purpose is to facilitate, expand and improve the response to chemsex in all its complexity.
What can you expect?
Global insights from leading experts and first responders
Panel discussions, workshops, and networking opportunities
A focus on health, harm reduction, and human rights
RIZIV accreditation
Application submitted, subject to approval:
Category 6 (Ethics & Economics): approximately 2.5 CP (max.)
Category 4 (International conference): approximately 6.75 CP (max.)
Final credit allocation is determined by the RIZIV/INAMI accreditation committee.
Practical
Date: Tue 3 - Thu 5 March 2026
Location:
ITM Campus Rochus
Sint-Rochusstraat 43
2000 Antwerp
Contact
✉ chemsexconference2026@itg.be
Tickets
Sold out!
Tickets (sold out)
Standard
Standard - €200.00
NGO / Student / LMIC participant - €160.00
Sold out!
Sponsorship
Showcase your organisation's commitment
By supporting, your organisation demonstrates a strong dedication to tackling important health and social challenges. Beyond the core benefits of social responsibility and enhanced visibility, sponsorship provides:
Access to cutting-edge research and insights
Exclusive networking: engage directly with an international community of healthcare professionals, policymakers and researchers
Brand differentiaton: stand out as a forward-thinking organisation dedicated to addressing complex challenges
Programme
Tuesday 3 March
Timing | Activity | Speaker(s) |
13:30-16:00 | Registration | |
16:00-18:00 | Opening session: Local and regional chemsex response | Chairs: Tom Platteau (ITM, Belgium) and Nicolas Dewaele (Testimonial of my trajectory as an ex-chemsex user) |
General welcome | Tom Platteau (ITM, Belgium) | |
Welcome to ITM | Dr Özge Tunçalp (ITM Executive Director, Belgium) | |
Kink Responsibly: Collaboration between community and healthcare services | Elio De Bolle (Darklands Festival, Belgium) | |
The Ferrari in the Garage | Nicolas Dewaele (Testimonial of my trajectory as an ex-chemsex user, Belgium) | |
HIV / hepatitis care and chemsex: what are the implications? Which lessons have been learned? | Prof Dr Jürgen Rockstroh (University of Bonn, Germany) | |
Chemsex and Functional Sexualized Substance Use: an European Epidemiological Update | Kai Jonas (Maastricht University, The Netherlands) | |
18:00 | Reception |
Wednesday 4 March
Timing | Activity | Speaker(s) |
08:00-09:00 | Registration and welcome coffee | |
09:00-10:30 | Plenary session 1: Defining and understanding chemsex | Chairs: Marie-Angélique de Scheerder (UZ Gent, Belgium) and Thijs Reyniers (ITM, Belgium) |
Chems in context: A modern look at changing drug trends | Jochen Schrooten (Flemish Center for Expertise on Alcohol and other Drugs, Belgium) | |
Oil and Water? Epistemological Tensions in the Construction of Chemsex category in Social Science Research | Marie Dos Santos (SESSTIM Laboratory, Inserm, France) | |
Understanding the motivations and drivers of chemsex: what can we learn to improve research, policy and practice? | Carrie Llewellyn (Brighton & Sussex Medical School, University of Sussex, United Kingdom) | |
Chemsex and the brain - provisional findings from a pilot neuroimaging study | Stephen Naulls (Brighton & Sussex Medical School and Sussex Partnership NHS Trust, United Kingdom) | |
Session discussion | ||
10:30-11:00 | Coffee break | |
11:00-12:30 | Plenary session 2: Prevention of (problematic) chemsex | Chairs: Veerle Doossche (Sensoa, Belgium) and Jasper Janssens (VAD, Belgium) |
What is chemsex prevention? Which groups do we need to target with prevention? | Raul Soriano (Sociologist and chemsex consultant, Spain) | |
Meeting the chemsex needs of underserved queer communities | Leo Pavam (The Love Tank, United Kingdom) | |
Reaching out to sex workers engaging in chemsex. Experiences from Antwerp and Brussels | Jasper Kerremans (Boysproject, Belgium) and Guilhem Lautrec (Alias, Belgium) | |
Session discussion | ||
12:30-13:30 | Lunch | |
13:30-15:00 | Plenary session 3: Integration of chemsex care | Chairs: Thijs Reyniers (ITM, Belgium) and Wim Vanden Berghe (ITM, Belgium) |
From Signals to Interventions: Chemsex & Harm Reduction | Sultan Baghdadi and Niels van der Spijk (Mainline, The Netherlands) | |
Budd: the development of a mobile phone intervention for chemsex | Tom Platteau (ITM, Belgium) | |
Chemsex in our research: Understanding realities by using appropriate methodologies | Perrine Roux (SESSTIM Laboratory, Inserm, France) | |
Intersectional vulnerabilities in chemsex | Ford Hickson (London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine / Antidote @ London Friend, United Kingdom) | |
Session discussion | ||
15:00-15:30 | Coffee break | |
15:30-17:00 | Plenary session 4: Chemsex care and support from a healthcare perspective | Chairs: Chantal den Daas (University of Aberdeen, United Kingdom) and Henry de Vries (Amsterdam UMC, The Netherlands) |
Chemsex: Perspectives from the Sexual Health Clinic | David Field (University of Aberdeen / UK & Gay Men's Health Service, Scotland) | |
Chemsex, drugs, and social connection | Chantal den Daas (University of Aberdeen, United Kingdom) | |
When does chemsex become problematic? A qualitative and quantitative perspective | Doortje van den Dungen (GGD Amsterdam, The Netherlands) | |
From Chemsex Check to Chemsex Choices: Low-threshold support at a queer sexual health centre | Jacques Kohl and Christopher Clay (Checkpoint BLN, Germany) | |
The E1 Clinic: A psychology-led pathway embedded in sexual health services | Mauricio Alvarez (Bart's Health NHS Trust, United Kingdom) | |
Session discussion | ||
17:00 | Reception |
Thursday 5 March
Timing | Activity | Speaker(s) |
08:00-09:00 | Registration and welcome coffee | |
09:00-10:30 | Panel: Chemsex, community and public health: Principles and practices | Chairs: Ben Collins (ReShape, United Kingdom) and Bart Anseeuw (chemsex therapist, Belgium) |
Panel discussion, with specific coverage of:
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10:30-11:00 | Coffee break | |
11:00-12:30 | Closing panel: Synthesis of conference findings and take-home messages | Chairs: Tom Platteau (ITM, Belgium) |
Chemsex care perspective | David Fawcett (chemsex therapist and author, International Institute of Clinical Sexology, USA) | |
Research and public health perspective | Ford Hickson (London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine / Antidote @ London Friend, United Kingdom) | |
Treating chemsex: Combining interventions for substance, sexual and mental health | Owen Bowden-Jones (CNWL Club Drug Clinic / University College London / Society for the Study of Addiction, United Kingdom) | |
Closing panel discussion | ||
12:30-13:30 | Lunch | |
14:00-16:00 | Study visit Darklands Festival: You are invited to a behind-the-scenes tour of Darklands Festival, the largest fetish festival of its kind in Europe. Please keep this in mind when booking your travel arrangements. |
Optimising support and care for people engaging in chemsex
As a leading centre for HIV care, sexual health, and public health research, ITM is deeply engaged with the challenges that chemsex presents across these domains. Through our clinical practice and research, we have developed multidisciplinary expertise in infectious diseases, mental health, and harm reduction. Our work involves direct engagement with individuals who use chems in sexual contexts, always grounded in a strong commitment to inclusive, stigma-free care for key populations. We also advocate for and implement community-based approaches to HIV prevention and support.
Through ongoing collaborations with organisations, care providers, and institutions in Belgium and internationally, we recognise the value of shared knowledge and diverse perspectives. With this conference, we aim to bring together experts and practitioners to exchange experiences, insights, and strategies, and in doing so, strengthen our collective capacity to provide responsive, evidence-informed, and compassionate care for people who engage in chemsex.
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