When you date a new guy, how do you find out about his exes?

Sex drugs - legal and illegal - are easy to come by and some Aids activists fear that this could lead to a spike in HIV infection among the gay community here. Their worry is that the use of such drugs can impair a person's judgment, leading him to let his guard down and have unprotected sex recklessly. Latest figures show that the number of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) cases among homosexuals and bisexuals has spiked.

There were 130 new HIV cases among homosexuals and 15 among bisexuals. Last year, the numbers were 151 and 34 respectively.

Some Aids activists and doctors interviewed said that besides more gays coming forward for HIV testing, the increase can be attributed to more of them having open relationships and using drugs.

Mr Brenton Wong, the former vice-president of Action for Aids (AFA), said: 'There is a growing trend in recreational drug use among the gay community here. You see this in big cities all over the world too.'

He added: 'When you have sex on a high, your judgment goes out of the door and most probably, you'll have unprotected sex. That leaves you open to HIV infections.'

Dr Norman Li, who teaches at the Singapore Management University (SMU) and is a specialist in mating, said that many gays in the United States have a culture of taking such drugs.

'It's pretty common. They use it to magnify the whole experience in the pursuit of thrills,' he said.

Urologist Lewis Liew said that unlike men with erectile-related problems, there is a group of men here who pop sex pills simply 'to be in top form'.

A coroner's case last week highlighted the use of drugs and casual sex among gays.

A verdict of misadventure was recorded on the death of catering executive Brandon Boh, 26, who had died after taking performance-enhancing drugs - very likely fake ones - during a night of casual sex with two men in April last year.

Mr Boh had met German magazine publisher Rene Daniels, 45, on an Internet dating site in March last year. Shortly after, he stayed over at Mr Daniels' Holland Close flat and the pair had sex.

Three days later, they invited a man known only as Ismail - whom Mr Daniels had also met online - to join them for sex at the flat.

Mr Daniels took out four blue pills meant for sexual enhancement and said he had brought them from Germany. He took two and gave the other two to Mr Boh. Both soon felt unwell. Ismail left some time after.

A friend of Mr Daniels' later found the two unconscious and foaming at the mouth. Mr Daniels survived but Mr Boh died on April 23 of pneumonia and swelling in the brain following multiple drug abuse.

Among the drugs found in his system were glibenclamide, used to treat diabetes, and amphetamines. When used without medical supervision, glibenclamide can cause hypoglycaemia (low blood-sugar levels), leading to brain injury.

Experts said that younger men, especially, are more prone to taking a combination of various recreational drugs before sex.

Associate Professor Roy Chan, president of AFA, said that gays below 18 are also most vulnerable to HIV.

'This is because of their relative immaturity, often not having affirmative peer support, having high risk-taking behaviours and not having learnt necessary life skills,' he said.

But Prof Chan believes that only a small minority of gays in Singapore use drugs. There are also a small number who hold sex parties.

'Strict drug laws have made them difficult to obtain and harsh penalties have proved to be an effective deterrent,' he said.

But others interviewed said that such sex pills can easily be obtained online, over the counter in Bangkok and through friends.

In gay online chatrooms, some men have been known to blatantly seek partners for sex without condoms or sex with drugs.

Dr Liew has even had patients who told him that the enhancement pills are sold at half-price online. 'They ask me if they are genuine, but it's hard to tell,' he said.

In Singapore, some also find the pills in the backlanes of red-light districts like Geylang, Desker Road and Petain Road.

Experts were also quick to point out that besides the gay community, such drugs are also an increasing trend among straight men.

A 26-year-old gay sales executive, who did not want to give his name, told The Sunday Times that he has been offered these pills at least three times over the past two years, by friends in clubs and strangers he met in online chatrooms.

Although he claims he does not take these drugs, he said many of his gay friends do.

'They like the high and want the fun,' he said. 'And after they have tried it and know that it works, they continue taking it.'

He said his friends often get together with strangers they meet in gay chatrooms who openly solicit 'chemsex' (sex under the influence of narcotics).

They meet in hotels or at each others' homes and end up having unprotected sex even though they barely know their partners.

'They were just too high and irrational to think right,' he said.

This article was first published in The Straits Times.