Effect Of Alcohol On Sexual Health

Alcohol is the most commonly used recreational drug. Taken in moderation, it can be compatible with a healthy lifestyle. A high consumption of alcohol is likely to have a strong depressant effect on your sex drive and sex life . Alcohol may remove sexual inhibitions and can initially improve sexual performance of both males and females. People often associate alcohol with sexual activity. Many people believe that alcohol is an aphrodisiac (Substances that increase or are believed to increase sexual desire or capability), so while intoxicated they feel sexual.

Alcohol is one of the most common causes of impotence and premature ejaculation. Both problems can cause an enormous amount of anxiety. As all men will agree, a modest amount of alcohol increases the desire for sex, but too much adversely affects performance. Recently it has been shown that reproductive function can be seriously disturbed in men taking even modest amounts of alcohol. Of 67 men attending a male infertility clinic, 26 (39 per cent) were thought to have alcohol-related impairment of sperm production. Most drank four to six units of alcohol daily - two to three pints of beer - and had not previously drunk any more. In approximately half, the semen analysis became normal after three months of abstinence from alcohol. No similar studies are available for women consuming moderate amounts of alcohol.

Women with impaired functioning of the ovaries caused by excessive consumption of alcohol will notice themselves becoming progressively de-feminized. They often start to experience sexual difficulties and report having menstrual problems such as irregular periods, heavy bleeding, or even complete loss of menstrual bleeding, known as amenorrhoea. The ovaries, breasts and external genitals shrink, body fat redistributes into a male pattern and vaginal secretions are lost

In any relationship where one partner is dependent on alcohol there will be sexual problems, which can place a severe strain on both partners. However, sexual functioning is not merely a physical activity; it has strong psychological components. Good sexual relationships require an emotional bond of love and affection. In the alcoholic marriage, neither partner can trust that bond.

Obviously sex and alcohol will always be linked and although that is not necessarily a bad thing, take heed of Shakespeare's Macbeth: 'Lechery, sir, it provokes, and unprovoked; it provokes the desire, but it takes away the performance.' It's important to remember that sexual performance isn't all that alcohol can affect.