Effect of alcoholism on the sexual health
Alcohol has a mixed effect on the sexual health, depending on the amount consumed. However, it is not a great idea to mix sex with drinking—for both men and women, as any expert Sexologist in Lahore would vouch. What exactly is the effect of alcohol on the sexual health, read on to find out:
Effect on men:
Erectile dysfunction
Alcohol makes erection difficult. This erectile dysfunction is a consequence of interference of the brain signals, to the penis, to fill with blood. Alcohol lowers the working of the central nervous system, and depresses the functioning of the brain.
Moreover, alcohol increases the production of angiotensin, a hormone linked with erectile dysfunction. This impacts negatively on the sexual health as well as the mental wellbeing of an individual.
Additionally, alcohol reduces the production of testosterone—the hormone that controls male sexual function. It must be remembered that erectile dysfunction caused by any type of alcoholic beverage is a temporary and reversible phenomenon.
Low libido
Because alcohol lowers testosterone, libido is lowered in men. Testosterone production is lowered also due to the shrinking of testes, a consequence of hard drinking over a long period of time. The latter also impacts fertility in men; in fact, even low amounts of alcohol can cause this effect.
Delayed orgasms
As mentioned before, alcohol depresses brain functioning and interferes with the signaling of the brain to the sexual organs. This not only makes erection difficult but also delays orgasms and causes delayed ejaculation. Ejaculation is termed delayed when it takes more than thirty minutes for someone to orgasm and ejaculate with sexual stimulation.
Mental Stress
Research showed that chronic alcohol intake is associated with multiple sexual dysfunctions—with 72 percent men reporting erectile dysfunction, lowered sexual desire and premature ejaculation. The prevalence of sexual dysfunction was related proportionately to the amount of alcohol consumed. The sexual dysfunction associated with alcohol consumption leads to interpersonal difficulties between couples, and marked mental distress.
Effect on women:
Lowered libido
Similar to the effect on men, alcohol also lowers the libido in women due to depressed brain function, lowered desire, decreased responsiveness and numbing effect on the genitalia.
Effect on relationships
The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism reports that most couples and individuals face problems when alcohol is involved. The relationship problems and interpersonal difficulties include but are not limited to: infidelity, conflict, insecurity, more sexual partners, regretted sex, pregnancy terminations and sexually transmitted infections. The odds of sexual assault also increase when alcohol is involved. In fact, research shows that 90 percent cases of sexual assault involve consumption of alcohol.
Delayed orgasms and vaginal dryness
Alcohol makes arousal difficult because of depressed brain functioning and decreased blood supply to the sexual organs. This, in turn leads to vaginal dryness, and discomfort during the act. The physiological response to arousal is swelling of the sexual organs, and self-lubrication. This physiological response is dampened due to alcohol and many women have to resort to using artificial lubrication.
Another impact of decreased blood supply to the sexual organs is numbing of the genitalia and delayed orgasm. Studies show that people reported longer lasting sex after drinking, as the sensation in the genitalia is reduced and there is less vaginal lubrication.
Decreased fertility
Just as drinking impacts the fertility in men, it also impacts fertility in women. Even small amounts of alcohol can reduce fertility in women. For women who are heavy drinkers for a long time stop ovulating. If both partners are heavy drinkers, the chances of getting pregnant are greatly reduced.
Alcohol is falsely claimed to have an aphrodisiac effect. Chronic alcoholics often suffer when it comes to their sexual health, and need help from experts like Best Sexologist in Karachi.
