What Meth Can Do to Your Health

Meth users are at increased risk of contracting HIV

Like heroin, meth can be injected, increasing the risk of contracting disease through shared needles or syringes. HIV cases have increased significantly among intravenous drug users, and they now make up the fastest growing percentage of those who are HIV positive.

Although meth increases the libido in the short run, long-term use can lead to sexual dysfunction. Meth has also been linked to rougher sex, which can cause more abrasions and bleeding, increasing the risk of contracting HIV. Recent studies have suggested that the combination of intravenous drug use and increased sexual risks makes meth users more likely to be HIV-positive than any other group.

Meth use can cause serious health complications

Because methamphetamine is a stimulant, it causes the heartbeat to increase, at times becoming irregular. It also raises blood pressure and damages the tiny blood vessels in the brain, increasing the likelihood of stroke. Overdose causes hypothermia and convulsions, which can lead to death. Prolonged meth use inflames the heart linings, forcing the heart to work harder to supply blood to the body. Intravenous use ruins blood vessels and causes skin sores.

Meth takes its toll psychologically, too. Users experience acute paranoia, anxiety, confusion and sleeplessness. They can exhibit extremely violent behavior, putting more than just themselves at risk. Hallucinations and delusion are not uncommon. Unfortunately, kicking the habit is not enough to eliminate these psychological risks, which can occur months or years afterward.

Pregnant women who use meth put their unborn child at risk

Women who abuse meth during their pregnancy have an increased chance of delivering prematurely. In the unborn child, meth distorts the reflexes and causes extreme irritability. Research also suggests that the children of pregnant meth abusers are at an increased risk of deformities.