sex and drugs
Can drugs improve sex? And if so, how?
© Getty
You might be forgiven for wondering why, if sex is as wonderful as it's generally made out to be, people are always looking for ways to improve it. Perhaps we're never really satisfied. And it seems we never have been. Humans have been experimenting with supposed aphrodisiacs – substances that excite you sexually or improve sex – for thousands of years.
For the most part, people's faith in traditional aphrodisiacs can be put down to the placebo effect. If you think powdered rhino horn is going to turn you into a sex god, and you spend a lot of money buying some, you'll probably convince yourself that it works. This is one of the problems scientists have in investigating the relationship between sex and drugs: it's hard to distinguish psychological effects from physiological ones. Another problem is that scientists aren't allowed to experiment on humans with illegal drugs. In addition, our understanding of the complex chemistry of desire, even without chemical interference, is very limited.
the body
In fact, most of the physical effects of recreational drugs seem negative as far as sex is concerned. Depressants such as alcohol, heroin and other opiates, and tranquillisers tend to make it more difficult both to achieve and maintain physical arousal and to reach orgasm, and the larger the dose, the more likely you are to experience these effects. Regular opiate users may lose their sex drive altogether.
Many people say that stimulants such as cocaine, amphetamines and ecstasy, often reputed to be good for sex, can also cause erection and orgasm problems. On the other hand, delaying orgasm may be desirable, and some men apply cocaine (which acts as a local anaesthetic) to the tips of their penises to achieve this effect more directly.
One drug that helps with maintaining erections is Viagra, and some men use Viagra to compensate for the negative sexual side-effects of recreational drugs. There is also some evidence that Viagra improves sexual response in women. However, Viagra is not an aphrodisiac in the strict sense of the word: it affects the flow of blood, but it doesn't effect sexual desire.
But there is a prescription drug that does seem to work as a true aphrodisiac, affecting sexual response by acting on brain chemistry. Uprima (apomorphine) stimulates the dopamine system and is used to help men with erection problems. Developed to relieve the symptoms of Parkinson's disease, Uprima was found also to cause erections. So it seems possible that the effect of recreational drugs on the dopamine system may, at least in some cases, contribute to their reputations as aphrodisiacs. But the link between dopamine and desire is far from straightforward: not all dopamine-enhancing medications affect sexual function.
Poppers – amyl and butyl nitrites – relax and open up the blood vessels, producing sensations of heat and excitement, and are said by some users to delay, prolong and intensify orgasm. They are particularly popular with gay men because they also relax muscles, including the sphincter – the muscle around the anus – making anal sex easier. GHB is also a muscle relaxant. However, once again, some men say they have erection problems after taking these drugs.
Stimulant drugs speed up the heart and arouse the central nervous system. And the stimulant quality of drugs such as poppers, cocaine, speed, methamphetamine and ecstasy takes us into a grey area between physiological and psychological effects in relation to sex. The arousal of the central nervous system, together with feelings of euphoria, can be experienced as increased sexual arousal.
'You really feel like you're going to die: your heart's going to explode; your head's going to explode.' Gary
the mind
In tandem with this arousal, which is not specifically sexual, is perhaps the most crucial psychological effect of stimulant drugs in relation to sex: the reduction or loss of inhibitions and self-consciousness. And this effect applies to other recreational drugs, including some depressant drugs, such as alcohol. As a result of using them, you're more likely both to make contact in the first place, and to end up getting down to it – if you're still up to it.
'It wouldn't have happened if I wasn't on drugs, because of inhibition – I didn't have any. I could do whatever I wanted.' Sam
In addition, drugs can change the way you perceive and experience sex. For a start, as Professor Susan Greenfield of the Department of Pharmacology at Oxford University points out, 'You're not thinking about your mortgage ... You are the passive recipient of your senses, you're having a sensational time – and words like that I think are very telling.'
To take particular examples, many people say that cannabis heightens the sense of touch. LSD and other drugs with hallucinogenic properties, including ketamine, can do the same, though the effects of such drugs are unpredictable, and you could find yourself just staring at that mark on the ceiling that looks kind of like a sea-elephant on a scooter, or maybe the Taj Mahal ... The effects of stimulants such as cocaine, amphetamines and ecstasy aren't as dramatic as hallucinogens, but they can intensify perception and experience, including the perception and experience of sex.
'There's nothing more sensual than sex. It relies so much on your senses. Ecstasy enhances every one of those.' Sam
Ecstasy has the reputation of being the 'love drug' or also, perhaps more tellingly, the 'hug drug' – many people say that the feelings of warmth and empathy they experience with E aren't specifically sexual. But in terms of promoting intimacy, ecstasy seems to be in a class of its own, and this certainly leads to sexual encounters that wouldn't have happened otherwise.
All of these psychological effects depend not only on the drug and the dose but on circumstances, mood and personality. You might like sex when you're stoned. Lots of other people prefer chocolate.
risks
All drugs involve risks and side-effects, and you can find out about the risks of particular drugs and how serious they are by checking out the relevant entries in the abc of drugs. But there are special risks in combining drugs with sex.
For one thing, you greatly increase your chances of waking up in the morning, looking across at the person lying next to you, and thinking, 'Oh my god, HOW COULD I?'
More seriously, if your mind is blurred, the question of consent can become blurred as well. This is not just a question of deliberate 'date rape', in which drinks are spiked with such drugs as the benzodiazepine Rohypnol and GHB, which is probably rare. You may simply have got yourself into a state in which you don't really know what you're doing, or you're incapable of putting up any resistance – even simply by saying 'You must be joking!' and walking off. This might seem sufficiently like consent to someone in a similar condition – or to someone who doesn't really care.
Drugs workers are also concerned about people who have consensual but extreme forms of sex, and particularly violent sex, using drugs that reduce inhibitions and sensitivity to pain. In particular there are worries about the transmission of HIV and hepatitis under such circumstances.
Even with more 'normal' sex, drink and drugs increase the chance that you won't bother to use a condom. In February 2002, a survey of its readership by the clubbing magazine Mixmag reported that 46% of respondents had had unprotected sex while drunk and 34% while on ecstasy.
Also, if you regularly use drugs for sex, you may come to feel that you can't have sex without them. This sort of using behaviour may be more likely to lead to drug problems and dependence.
Finally, because many drugs can impair sexual functioning, drug users who want to have sex may well use a cocktail of drugs to get the desired effect. Mixing drugs increases the risks. In particular:
- Mixing poppers with Viagra is extremely dangerous, as both lower the blood pressure.
- Combining stimulants such as amphetamines, cocaine or ecstasy, or mixing alcohol with stimulants, puts an increased strain on the heart.
sex problems
Recreational drugs are not a solution for sexual problems. If you're generally short of sexual energy or interest, or you're a man with erection problems, check out the features in our
help and info
Channel 4 is not responsible for the content of third party sites.
organisations
British Association for Sexual and Relationship Therapy
PO Box 13686
London SW20 9ZH
Tel: 020 8543 2707 (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm, answerphone available)
E-mail: info@basrt.org.uk
Website: www.basrt.org.uk
National specialist charity for sexual and relationship therapy. The website lists accredited therapists.
Drinkline
PO Box 4000
Glasgow G3 8XX
Helpline: 0800 917 8282 (24 hours)
A free national helpline offering advice and information for people with alcohol problems
or anyone concerned about alcohol misuse. Provide advice on sensible drinking and
information on local support services to help people cut down on their drinking.
FRANK
Helpline: 0800 77 66 00 (24 hours)
Textphone: 0800 917 8765
E-mail: frank@talktofrank.com
Website: www.talktofrank.com
Provides free confidential drugs information and advice 24 hours a day. All calls are confidential. Use the website's search facility to get the contact details of organisations offering practical help and support in your area.
Roofie Foundation
Monkswell House
Manse Lane
Knaresborough HG5 8NQ
Helpline: 0800 783 2980 (24 hours)
E-mail: trf@roofie.org.uk
Website: www.roofie.com
Specialist agency operating in the area of drug rape and related issues. The helpline offers information and support for those who have experienced 'date rape' and the website features useful legal advice.
websites
Looking for a Libido Lift? The Facts About Aphrodisiacs
http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/fdaphrod.html
US Food and Drug Administration article giving a background to the use of aphrodisiacs, different cultural views, the role of the placebo effect, and the negative side of the love potion industry.
Psychoactives and Sex
www.erowid.org/psychoactives/sex/sex.shtml
A range of links to articles and resources relating to sex and drugs.
Sex, Drugs and Aphrodisiacs
www.links.net/drugz/sex.html
A personal account of using legal 'sex drugs', and an outline of a range of supposed aphrodisiacs.
Sex and Drugs and Rock and Roll and ...
www.drugscope.org.uk/druginfo/student_guide/sexdrugsrr.html
Brief but useful advice from Drugscope aimed at students.
Sex, Drugs and Techno Music
www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v01/n2069/a05.html?116
An article exploring the use of MDMA – aka Ecstasy; its use in rave culture; the way it is portrayed by the media, including reinforcing its sexual connotations; and its effects on the mind and body.
The Sex Effects of Drugs
www.xandria.com/learn/SexTalk/SexTalk.asp?article%5Fid=48
Informative article describing how drugs affect sex. Includes information about narcotics, amphetamines, marijuana, MDMA, inhalants and anti-depressants.
reading
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Sex, Drugs and Magick by Robert Anton Wilson (New Falcon Publications, 1993) |
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Sex, Drugs, and Aphrodisiacs by Adam Gottlieb (Ronin Publishing, 1996) |
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Sexual Pharmacology: Drugs That Affect Sexual by Theresa Crenshaw and James Goldberg (W.W. Norton, 1993) |
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(revised February 2003, resources updated February 2005)
