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Lets talk about sex » Sex, Alcohol & Drugs

sex, Alcohol & Drugs

Alcohol can affect people’s sex lives in many ways. The effects of alcohol can be divided into two categories  ‘bad effects’  and ‘good effects’.

Good effects of alcohol

Small amounts of alcohol might help people to relax a little, it can oil the social wheels and reduce shyness – thereby making it easier for people to other people.

A small amount of wine or a cocktail will often make a person feel romantic – or perhaps less ‘uptight’ about sex.

In some cases a small amount of alcohol can extend the time which a man takes before he climaxes, – this can be helpful to men who have a problem with climaxing too soon or experience premature ejaculation (PE).

Bad effects of alcohol

Unfortunately the list of ‘bad’ effects of alcohol is much longer!

Alcohol makes people less likely to have safer sex (i.e. use a condom) therefore, risking pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STI’s). Alcohol and drugs lower our inhibitions. This means people could take more risks in their behaviour, including having sex when they might otherwise not. Also having consumed alcohol means people might not even think about using a condom.

If people do decide to try and use a condom, being drunk or high means  that it is more likely to be put  on wrong or become damage it. Condoms can get weakened and torn by fingernails, fail to be unrolled properly and people can forget to squeeze the air out of the teat first. All of these things can cause condoms to break, burst or slip off during sex. Therefore, leading to the possibility of pregnancy or catching an STI.

Even when people can get them on properly, alcohol numbs sensation in both men and women. Prolonged use of a condom can also cause it to break or burst.

Alcohol and drugs impair people’s judgement and could lead them to doing something they will regret the next day. Do not put yourself at risk of ruining a good friendship or waking up next to a total stranger unable to remember what happened.

Alcohol is a major cause of impotence (erectile dysfunction).  Men who consume excessive quantities of alcohol can develop permanent ‘Brewer’s droop’ – and often lose of interest in sex.  A lot of men do not realise this because they think that alcohol boosts their sex drive. But as Shakespeare says in the Scottish play: ‘It increases the desire, but it takes away the performance.’

Drinking alcohol can also affect people’s fertility when planning to have children. Alcohol and using many street drugs lowers sperm counts in men and can make it more difficult for women to get pregnant.  Even women who drink over the government’s low risk alcohol unit guidelines can take longer to become pregnant and can suffer from menstrual and fertility problems.

'Chemsex'

The term 'chemsex' means "sex while using drugs".

Drugs can make people feel confident, part of the group, relaxed and more sexual. For some people sex and drugs/alcohol go hand in hand. If you choose to use drugs, look after yourself and protect your sexual health.

It is know that mixing sex and drugs often leads to risky sexual behaviour. It is also understand that everyone makes a personal choice about when and where they choose to use drugs.  Apart from becoming dependent, the biggest risk can be that drugs cloud judgement or make people unaware of what they doing or what they have done. Whether it is one-on-one sex or group sex, it is not uncommon for people to take sexual risks. If people are going to get involved in chemsex, it is important that they know how to keep themselves and their partners as safe as possible.
 For more information on ‘chemsex’ check out the Terrence Higgins Trust information at: http://www.tht.org.uk/~/media/707421C3EF3B4355BB06F3B0DF0AB177.pdf.

 

New Psychoactive Substances- NPS (‘Legal Highs’)

So-called ‘legal highs’ (psychoactive substances) are substances which seek to mimic the effects of drugs such as cocaine and ecstasy, but are not currently controlled as class A, B, or C drugs.

It is now illegal to supply any so-called “legal highs” for human consumption. This includes selling them or giving them away for free (even to friends) when they are going to be taken for their psychoactive effects.  Importing them from abroad will also be a crime.
Police will take action where they find people committing these offences. Punishments range from a prohibition notice, which is a formal warning, to 7 years in prison.
Police and other agencies also have new powers. They will be able to stop and search people they think are supplying and they will seize and destroy so-called “legal highs” where they find them.

In fact, for many so-called ‘legal highs’, there has been little or no useful research into the short or long-term risks from human consumption. Psychoactive substances have widely different strengths and different effects on different people. You can become addicted as well.

The three main categories of drugs do not detail every reported risk of every single ‘legal high’.

Stimulant psychoactive substances:

Act like amphetamines (‘speed’), mephedrone, naphyrone, cocaine or ecstasy can make people feel overconfident and disinhibited, induce feelings of anxiety, panic, confusion, paranoia, and even cause psychosis, which can lead people to put their own safety at risk. These types of drugs can put a strain on the heart and the nervous system. They may give the immune system a battering leading to more colds, flu and sore throats. People may feel quite low for a while after they have stopped using them.

‘Downer’ or sedative psychoactive substances:
 
Similar to cannabis, benzodiazepines (drugs like diazepam or Valium), or GHB/GBL, can reduce inhibitions and concentration, slow down reactions and make people feel lethargic, forgetful or physically unsteady, placing them at risk of accidents. This type of drugs can also cause unconsciousness, coma and death, particularly when mixed with alcohol and/or with other ‘downer’ drugs. Some people feel very anxious soon after they stop taking ‘downers’, and if a severe withdrawal syndrome develops in heavy drug users, it can be particularly dangerous and may need medical treatment.

Psychedelic or 'hallucinogenics':

Act like LSD and magic mushrooms can cause confusion, panics and strong hallucinatory reactions (‘bad trips’), and their effects can make people behave erratically and put their own safety at serious risk – including from self-harm. Some psychedelic drugs create strong dissociative effects, which make people feel like their mind and body are separated. Both effects can interference with people’s judgement, putting them at risk of acting carelessly or dangerously, and of hurting themselves, particularly in an unsafe environment.

If you are worried about drugs and want further confidential help and advice you can visit http://knowthescore.info
Or call Know the Score on 0800 587 5879

More evidence is emerging that there is a link between the use of alcohol and or drugs and ‘risky sexual behaviour’. Alcohol and or drugs can be used to enhance sexual activity but their use can also lead to people taking risks.
When you are under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs your inhibitions are lowered and you may end up regretting or not remembering your sexual activity. Apart from feeling bad about yourself afterwards you are also putting yourself at risk of picking up a sexually transmitted infection (STI) or an unplanned pregnancy.

When you are under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs people may:

If you experience any of the above you can seek advice from your GP or local Sexual Health Clinic or Genito-Urinary Medicine Clinic. It is essential to go and get advice and if necessary be tested and treated.

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