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
Practical
Date: Tue 3 - Thu 5 March 2026
Location:
ITM Campus Rochus
Sint-Rochusstraat 43
2000 Antwerp
Contact
✉ chemsexconference2026@itg.be
Tickets
Registration and tickets
Early bird
Early bird - €170.00
Early bird NGO / Student / LMIC participant - €135.00
Buy your ticket before 15 December 2025 to benefit from the early bird rates.
Standard
Standard - €200.00
NGO / Student / LMIC participant - €160.00
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
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.
Preliminary programme
This programme is preliminary and subject to change.
Tuesday 3 March
Timing | Activity | Speaker(s) |
13:30-16:00 | Registration | |
16:00-18:00 | Opening session: Chemsex response | Chairs: Tom Platteau (ITM, Belgium) and TBD |
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) | |
Testimonial and trajectory of an ex-chemsex user | Nicolas Dewaele (Belgium) | |
Link between HIV care and chemsex | Jürgen Rockstroh (University of Bonn, Germany) | |
Chemsex and drug use: An epidemiological context in Europe | Kai Jonas (Maastricht University, The Netherlands) | |
Community activity / entertainment | ||
18:00 | Reception |
Wednesday 4 March
Timing | Activity | Speaker(s) |
09:00-10:30 | Plenary session 1: Defining and understanding chemsex | Chairs: Marie-Angélique de Scheerder (UZ Gent, Belgium) and Thijs Reyniers (ITM, Belgium) |
Chem in context: A modern look at changing drug trends | Jochen Schrooten (Belgium) | |
Epistemologies of chemsex | Marie Dos Santos (France) | |
Underlying motivations and drivers of chemsex | Carrie Llewellyn (United Kingdom) | |
Chemsex and the brain | Stephen Naulls (United Kingdom) | |
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) |
Which groups can we effectively reach with preventive efforts? | Raul Soriano (Spain) | |
What type of messages truly resonate - those discouraging use or those focused on harm reduction? | Leo Pavam (United Kingdom) | |
How can these messages actually reach the people who need them? | Jasper Kerremans and Guilhem Lautrec (Belgium) | |
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) |
Integration of chemsex care | Mainline (The Netherlands) | |
Digital care pathways: Budd, the development of a mobile phone intervention for chemsex | Tom Platteau (Belgium) | |
Intersectionalities and vulnerabilities of chemsex users | Perrine Roux (France) | |
Intersectional vulnerabilities in chemsex | Ford Hickson (United Kingdom) | |
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) |
Overview of chemsex treatment from a healthcare perspective | TBD | |
Chemsex - sexual and social connection: Sexualised drug use among gbMSM in the Netherlands | Chantal den Daas (United Kingdom) | |
When becomes drug use problematic? A qualitative and quantitative perspective | Doortje van den Dungen (The Netherlands) | |
The role of social support and sexual functioning in chemsex | TBD | |
Clinical psychology: Managing a pathway chemsex (including high-risk sexual behaviours) within a sexual health clinic | Mauricio Alvarez (United Kingdom) | |
Discussion |
Thursday 5 March
Timing | Activity | Speaker(s) |
09:00-10:30 | Plenary session 5: 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) and TBD |
Chemsex care perspective | David Fawcett (chemsex therapist and author, USA) | |
Research and public health perspective | Ford Hickson (London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, United Kingdom) | |
TBD | TBD | |
12:30-13:30 | Lunch | |
14:00-16:00 | Special social activity: 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. |
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