Alcohol: aphrodisiac or inhibitor of sex?

Questions

1) Alcohol decreases physical signs of sexual arousal in men, but not in women.
False. Intoxication seems to hinder genital blood flow in both men and women. Why, exactly, remains a mystery. Researchers suspect that alcohol silences the peripheral nervous system, which includes nerve endings in the penis, clitoris, and vagina. Normally, these nerves urge the arteries in the sex organs to relax, allowing blood and sexual feeling to flow.

2) It takes five or more drinks before alcohol begins to slow arousal.
False. Observations of men and women have shown that even a little intoxication can nip titillation in the bud. In these studies, after roughly two to three drinks, men's penile swelling began to taper off. Women weren't any more sexually hardy. After one to two drinks, their vaginal blood volume started waning, and orgasms came more slowly.

3) Alcohol can relax your sexual inhibitions
True. The "disinhibition theory" suggests that alcohol dulls higher brain functions, including those that control impulse and inhibition. This probably doesn't surprise most drinkers. Small amounts of alcohol inhibit the brain messages that normally manage your sexual impulses and can relax your inhibitions. In large amounts, however, alcohol suppresses the central nervous system to the point where erection and ejaculation become increasingly difficult.

4) The idea of drinking may be more sexually exciting than drinking itself.
True. Faith in alcohol's aphrodisiac power may be more important than its chemical magic. In multiple studies, men who believed they had consumed alcohol, but actually had not, were more sexually aroused and deviant than those who didn't know they had consumed alcohol. Studies on both aggression and social anxiety have uncovered similar results.

5) Drinking is probably the biggest reason why people don't use condoms.
False. Ahh, a little good news. A 1993 survey of the sexual experiences of more than 2000 people found that men and women were no less likely to use condoms during sexual encounters that involved drinking. Personality factors, age, education, general behavior, and long-term drinking habits went hand-in-hand with alcohol use in determining safe sex.

6) Long-term, heavy drinking can impair fertility in both men and women.
True. Heavy drinking can cause infertility in both men and women, and moderate drinking may affect women's fertility. Excessive alcohol consumption can lead to impotence, sperm deformities, decreased testosterone level, and may cause a decrease in sperm motility. In women, heavy drinking can interfere with sexual function, menstruation, and, sometimes, normal childbirth.

If you've checked your answers by clicking on "True or False," you have learned that alcohol can indeed affect your sexual desire and performance, but maybe not in quite the way you thought.

Research on alcohol and sex

Social drinking may or may not affect fertility. One study found that three drinks per day for three weeks interfered with menstruation. Another study of nearly 2000 women revealed that women who enjoyed one drink or less per day had a higher risk of endometriosis, a condition of the uterine lining that can result in infertility. Other studies showed no connection.

When alcohol and sex mix, the organ most often affected appears to be the brain. But, whether the effect is caused by chemical reality or perception is still a mystery. Evidence certainly hints that faith in the sexual power of alcohol makes you believe you are more sexually aroused, regardless of the physical facts. In at least three studies, women reported increasing sexual pleasure as their blood alcohol level increased, despite a decreased blood volume that should have lessened sexual feeling.

Even as sexual activity declined with drinking, 69 women who kept diaries of their sexual experiences reported that drinking enhanced their desire. And, of course, as the answer to question number four illustrates, men were more sexually aroused when they believed they had consumed alcohol, even though they had not.

As the influence of alcohol over sexual desire can't really be proven, faith--or perhaps denial--is key. If you believe alcohol makes you feel sexier, you probably will feel and act that way. Even in the face of opposing evidence, you may find, as Winston Churchill affirmed, "I have taken more out of alcohol than it has taken out of me."

A word of caution, however. Alcohol is a drug--a very potent drug. Excessive use of alcohol can adversely affect your physical, social, spiritual, and mental health, to say nothing of your sex life. Drink responsibly, know your limits, and never drink and drive.