Substance Use Negatively Impacts Sexual Performance

Substance use and abuse is associated with multiple negative consequences. An increased risk of injury, risky sexual behaviors, vehicular accidents and risk of overdose are more immediate potential results of substance use. In addition, there are lifestyle impacts, such as difficulty maintaining social and family relationships and obstacles to academic and professional achievement.Some of the impact of using substances like drugs and alcohol are not realized for many years. Those who binge drink, for instance, may face increased risk of heart disease and certain cancers.

A new study finds that alcohol and drugs are implicated in another health and lifestyle problem: sexual arousal and function. The study provides findings that contradict some earlier research, showing that sexual performance does not improve after discontinuing use but instead persists for many years after use of the substance.

The findings show that of the substances examined, alcohol has the most severe effect on sexual arousal or erectile capacity. The men in the study did not report better experiences once they discontinued alcohol consumption.

The study included 905 men, with 550 of the participants having a diagnosis of cocaine, alcohol, combination of cocaine and alcohol, heroin, speedball (heroin and cocaine) or marijuana addiction.

The researchers, a team from the University of Granada, Spain and Santo Tomas University in Colombia, found that sexual performance was impaired in men even if they reported several years of sobriety. The findings contradict other research showing that a three-week period of abstinence from substance abuse could result in regained sexual performance.

Published in a recent issue of the Journal of Sexual Medicine, the study measured the sexual performance of a total of 605 males. Of those, 550 were diagnosed with addiction to substances, including diagnoses for both alcohol and drug addiction and combinations of drugs and alcohol addiction. The additional men in the study were examined as controls.

The study included an assessment of four areas of sexual behaviors: sexual satisfaction, orgasm, sexual desire and sexual arousal. The results of the analysis showed that there was a moderate to significant impairment among those in the study group when compared to the controls.

The researchers also determined that speedball and cocaine were the substances most likely to impair sexual pleasure, while cocaine users tend to have very high levels of sexual desire while using the drug.

Alcohol was found to be most likely to affect sexual arousal, or erectile capacity. Orgasms were mostly likely to be affected by alcohol, cocaine, heroin and speedball.

The study is the first to show the long-lasting and perhaps permanent impact of substance abuse on experiences of sexual performance. Further research may help clarify the relationship between substance abuse and sexual experiences.