Sex and drugs: effects of addiction on sexuality
Sex and drugs always seem to be a hot topic in the media and in almost all social circles, but the reality of the situation is that sex and drugs can have serious and lifelong consequences for those who engage in it. such behaviors simultaneously. There are always inherent risks associated with drug abuse, and unfortunately, there are also serious risks associated with sex. This is true for each behavior independently, and it is a truth significantly exacerbated when the two are combined.
Some people may claim that sex and drugs “feel good” together, and for some this may be temporarily true. However, the fact remains that this suggestion involves drug use, a major moral, legal, and health dilemma in the United States. In addition, most drugs of abuse are highly addictive, posing a serious problem for the addict’s short- and long-term sexual health.
Ultimately, when drug abuse leads to addiction and sex is involved, the risks already inherent in both actions are greatly amplified and could have lifelong consequences for those who engage in these behaviors. This can include unwanted pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, rape and sexual assault, prostitution, and other violent crimes. If you are having sex and have a drug problem, then you are at serious risk and should take immediate steps to get help now. Sexuality is too important a human function to risk permanently damaging it.
Libido: the main impact of sex and drugs
Do you think that using drugs will increase your libido? Think again.
One of the most common misconceptions about sex and drugs is that a person’s libido can be increased by abusing various substances. While this may be true of certain supplements and pharmaceutical drugs, it is absolutely not true of street drugs, including ecstasy. (Ecstasy deserves a special mention because many people see it as a sex-enhancing drug, but these effects usually wear off fairly quickly, leaving the user with no interest in sex or unable to perform or reach orgasm.) There are three main reasons why drugs negatively affect a person’s libido:
1.) Emotional distress and other stress related to substance abuse
When occasional drug use or drinking leads to addiction, sex is almost always affected. People with drug or drinking problems often struggle with emotional disorders such as depression or bipolar disorder. While drug use seems to allow for a way to self-medicate, it actually only makes pre-existing conditions worse. Additionally, because drug abuse has associated moral, professional, and legal taboos, there is a great deal of stress associated with drug use.
Because stress lowers the average person’s libido, it’s perfectly logical to argue that drug and alcohol abuse will ultimately have a negative effect on human sexuality.
2.) Seeking and using drugs is exhausting and time-consuming behavior
Most people who are addicted to drugs or alcohol spend a significant portion of their time, perhaps all of their time, finding drugs, actively using them, hiding their drug use, and earning income (often illegally) to support their habit. . All of this is time consuming, and unless the drug user’s partner is also using drugs, most of these behaviors will necessarily have to occur away from any non-using partner. And because drug use itself is so exhausting and often leads to “blacking out,” sexual opportunity and desire can be significantly diminished.
3.) The physical effects of drugs can cause sexual problems
Some drugs cause physical problems that can make sexual intercourse difficult or impossible. This can be something as benign as the inability to get an erection as a result of alcohol use, a complete lack of physical sensation, other serious issues like lung difficulty associated with opiate use, or paranoia/fear associated with marijuana use. Serious problems like these can make it impossible to function normally sexually.
Sex and drugs lead to high-risk sexual behavior
Addiction and alcoholism are often breeding grounds for dangerous sexual behavior.
Just attend any AA or NA meeting and you will hear countless horror stories involving sex and drugs. Because the drive for sex is nearly as powerful in a non-addicted person as the drive for drugs is in some drug addicts, the two behaviors can often mix with harmful consequences including:
*Unwanted pregnancies
Reduced inhibitions as a result of drug or alcohol abuse often coincide with making unwise sexual decisions, such as choosing not to use a condom or other contraceptive. And when drug-addicted women become pregnant, the person who suffers the most is often the fetus. This is evidenced by recent reports that babies born addicted to drugs have skyrocketed in the United States in recent years. This is because many women who are addicted do not seek prenatal care and instead continue to use drugs during their pregnancy without medical assistance. Ultimately, women in this situation who manage to carry their babies to term (often do not) put their children at risk of being born addicted.
In many cases, babies born addicted to drugs are taken from their mothers and placed in the care of the state. Mothers can face criminal charges that can result in years behind bars.
*Sexually transmitted diseases
Sexually transmitted diseases spread rapidly among the addict and drug addict communities. Reduced inhibitions, despair, unsanitary conditions, and more can lead to an environment in which drug users are significantly more likely to contract an STD than people who don’t use drugs and have sex. And because many STDs are incurable, even one occasion of mixing sex and drugs or sex and alcohol can lead to a lifetime of medical complications.
*Prostitution
Drug addiction is expensive. Many addicts spiral into a hole created when they deplete their savings, sell their belongings, and then start stealing from others to support their habit. But for some people, these actions are not an option, or there is no one left in their lives to steal from. This makes it all too easy to turn to prostitution to continue buying and using drugs.
Prostitution also brings with it a natural increase in the rate of transmission of sexually transmitted diseases, unwanted pregnancies, and sexual and drug-related crimes.
Sex, Drugs and Violence
Happens. Much.
When people mix sex and drugs or sex and alcohol, things often go terribly wrong. While this could be any of the things discussed above, it could also be any number of violent sexual acts or behaviors. This is especially true for addicts who engage in promiscuity or prostitution to feed their drug addictions.
People who use drugs are much more susceptible to rape and sexual assault. Because drugs are involved, it is easy to become incapacitated and take advantage of them. And as a result of the illegal nature of drugs, many victims are too afraid to report the crime because they fear the repercussions themselves. In addition, there is an unfortunate tendency for law enforcement and others to dismiss or dismiss reports of sexual offenses against drug addicts or alcoholics.
In a large number of cases, the sexual harm from rape or other sexual assault can cause complications for years, or even permanently. This is important for current drug addicts to consider, because these problems are likely to persist long after they have stopped using drugs and gotten sober.
Sexual assault and sexual violence against drug users is not gender specific: both men and women become promiscuous, engage in prostitution, and possibly become victims of sexual assault. If it is about drugs, the dangers are always much more important.
Long-term consequences of sex and drugs
If you engage in these behaviors, you could affect your sexual health for life.
When it comes to sex and drugs, the risks simply don’t justify the vague benefits people are sold for continuing this type of lifestyle. Indeed, a person could permanently ruin their sexual health, even if they only used drugs for a short time. The following are the four most prominent long-term consequences of sex and drug abuse:
1.) Illness
Sexually transmitted diseases like herpes, hepatitis, and AIDS have no cure. Addicts who contract these diseases will be forced to deal with them for the rest of their lives. This is a serious consideration for people who are addicted now and keep saying that “one day” they will quit. That one day it could be one day too late.
2.) Injury
Sexual assault and other sexual violence can result in permanent injuries that can affect a person’s sexuality.
3.) Sexual disconnection
Years of drug abuse and sex can numb a person to the point that sober sex is no longer appealing. Additionally, sexual trauma or other bad experiences during periods of active drug use can cause severe emotional damage that can make it difficult for a person to approach another person in a healthy sexual way.
4.) Loss of an important relationship
Promiscuity, prostitution, and infidelity during active drug use can lead to the loss of an important romantic and sexual relationship that you may not be able to repair once you’re sober. Also, drug use alone is often enough to end a relationship, so if you have someone you care about now and you’re still using drugs, maybe it’s time to quit before you lose it. .