Drugs, Recreational

There has been a long association between drugs and sex. In Greek mythology aphrodisiacs were festivals held in the honor of Aphrodite, the goddess of love. Since that time the term has come to signify foods, drinks, drugs, and other agents that arouse sexual desire.

MIND-SET AND SOCIAL SETTING

Despite the ability of a drug to provoke physiological arousal, its aphrodisiacal effects are often contextual and depend on what users call the set and setting: or mind-set and social setting. Thus, it is important to distinguish between the psychopharmacological and physiological effects of drugs. Each user brings to each drug a set of expectations that, though often socially determined and situated, strongly influences the user's experiences. Moreover, each drug has a "social pharmacology" that often determines a user's experience by providing a social or cultural context for that experience.

For example, the drug ecstasy, or MDMA, functions uniquely in three ways: First, physiologically MDMA simulates an increased level of serotonin, a mood-enhancing, naturally occurring neurochemical, while also raising the brain's level of dopamine, another mood-enhancing chemical, promoting feelings of elation and euphoria. Second, the general social pharmacology of MDMA suggests that ecstasy is a "love drug" and often depicts its use in the context of sensual and sexual activity. Third, an individual's unique psycho-pharmacology combines the physiological effects with the social pharmacology while integrating the user's expectations, state of mind, experience, and so on. Thus, it is difficult to pinpoint the exact effects of MDMA, or any drug, on one causal factor. However, the combination of causal factors is such that MDMA often is considered a sexually enhancing recreational drug and is used as such (Rhodes 1996).

THE EFFECTS OF SPECIFIC RECREATIONAL DRUGS

The following descriptions of recreational drugs consider both their physiological effects and social pharmacologies.

Alcohol

Typically considered a sedative, alcohol long has been associated with promiscuous and compulsive sexual behavior. Its legality and prevalence make alcohol the most widely used recreational drug other than caffeine. The social pharmacology of alcohol is not linked to or limited by a specific subculture or socioeconomic group; however, research suggests that heavy drinkers are more likely to engage in risky sexual behavior (Temple and Leigh 1992).

Marijuana

Marijuana typically is placed in a class of drugs by itself, but THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), the active ingredient, is considered a psychotropic substance, that is, a chemical that alters brain functioning (Kuo and associates 2004). A large range of often contradictory physiological effects are attributed to marijuana use, ranging from feelings of euphoria and relaxation to paranoia and intense stimulation. Marijuana has been used as an aphrodisiac for at least three thousand years in Indian Ayurvedic and Unani Tibbi medicines and has been used predominantly as a libido stimulant among many ethnic groups worldwide. Evidence suggests that the effects of marijuana are determined largely by the social framework and individual expectations that surround its use. For this reason, the social context in which marijuana is used sets the stage for the user's experience. Among many subculture groups marijuana highs are regarded as intensifying the sexual charge of the social context; thus, it is perceived as heightening sexual tension and arousal for its users.

Hallucinogens and Psychedelics

Although many hallucinogenic drugs, such as LSD (D-lysergic acid diethylamide), typically are not regarded as aphrodisiacs, some, such as MDMA and psilocybin, are used for their sexual enhancement effects. Psychedelics often provoke synesthesia, heightened feelings of intimacy, and enhanced spiritual awareness, and in some settings these effects may function as sexual enhancers.

Ecstasy

Ecstasy has a reputation as being a sex drug or, as it often is called, a "love drug." MDMA functions as a serotonin agonist and dopamine booster and produces physiological feelings of elation and euphoria (Parrot and associates 2001). These feelings typically are linked to sensations of increased intimacy and heightened sexual arousal. Ecstasy most often is associated with the underground "rave" and dance culture, but its use is not limited to that group.

Stimulants

Stimulants, or amphetamines such as speed and "crank," reportedly delay orgasm and are popular sex drugs. However, the sexual effects of stimulants may be psychological interpretations of physiological effects (Rhodes 1996). That is, stimulants cause increased heartbeat, increased levels of adrenaline, and sensations of euphoria, which are translated into feelings of sexual arousal. Long-term stimulant use, however, may have the opposite effect. Extended periods of stimulant use may decrease a user's libido and ability to perform sexually. Amphetamines in general are considered "club drugs" and often are ingested in situations and settings that are already sexually charged.

Cocaine

Cocaine, another stimulant, typically is used as a sexual enhancer because of its numbing and sedative effects. Users report an extended duration of sexual activity linked to the numbing effects of cocaine and thus view the drug as a method of prolonging sexual pleasure (Rhodes 1996). Some men allegedly put cocaine on their penises before sex for its numbing effects and as a more direct method of forestalling orgasm. Cocaine is regarded widely as the paragon of recreation sex drugs, and its use is not necessarily limited to specific subculture or socioeconomic groups.

Opiates

Opiates and other depressants generally dampen or inhibit sexual arousal, making them less attractive as sexual enhancers. Opiates such as heroin, morphine, and opium are not necessarily linked causally to promiscuous sexual behavior, although opiate users tend to engage in risky behaviors in general; thus, the link between opiate use and promiscuous sexual behavior is one of lifestyle choices rather than physiological or socially determined effects.

Alkyl Nitrates (Poppers)

Alkyl nitrates, or "poppers," such as amyl nitrate and butyl nitrate, historically have been used for their sex-enhancing properties. Amyl nitrate, the most popular of the poppers, was created and prescribed as a treatment for angina (Newell, Spitz, and Wilson 1988). Poppers relax and open blood vessels around the sex organs, promoting erection and increased sensitivity in and around the user's genitals. Poppers are also popular among gay men because of their effect of relaxing sphincter muscles, making anal sex less painful and thus more pleasurable. In the rave culture poppers are used in conjunction with either MDMA or cocaine to heighten feelings of euphoria and physical sensitivity.

Prescription Drugs

Prescription drugs such as Viagra, Cialis, and Uprima are becoming increasingly popular as recreational drugs. Although they typically are prescribed as aids for sufferers of erectile dysfunction (ED), these drugs often are purchased and used illegally as sexual enhancers. Drugs such as Viagra frequently are used in conjunction with other recreational drugs to combat the negative sexual side effects of drugs that decrease sexual arousal. For example, ED drugs are used to combat the numbing and erection-reducing effects of poppers, stimulants, MDMA, and opiates. This method of use may reduce the user's blood pressure drastically and dangerously.

Date Rape Drugs

Although not used for recreational purposes, date rape drugs are associated with risky sexual behavior. Drugs such as ketamine (commonly known as special K, vitamin K, ket, or kit kat), Rohypnol (or roofies, roach, R-2, or shays), and gamma-hydroxybutyerate (GHB) (or liquid ecstasy, liquid X, cherry meth, or Georgia home boy) are put into the drinks of unsuspecting users. The physiological effect is to render the user either unconscious or otherwise incapacitated so that the administrator of the drug can assault the user sexually. Date rape drugs generally do not have a positive social pharmacology. However, they typically are seen as being administered by men to women in social settings where alcohol is being used; because the administrator and the user are already familiar with each other, they are viewed as facilitators of date rape.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Clutterbuck, D. J.; D. Gorman; A McMillan, et. al. 2001. "Substance Use and Unsafe Sex amongst Homosexual Men in Edinburgh." AIDS Care 13(4): 527-535.

Kuo, Wen-Hung; T. E. Wilson; K. M. Weber, et al. 2004. "Initiation of Regular Marijuana Use among a Cohort of Women Infected with or at Risk for HIV in the Women's Interagency HIV Study (WIHS)." AIDS Patient Care & STDs 18(12): 702-713.

Newell, Guy R.; Margaret R. Spitz; and Michael B. Wilson.1988. "Nitrate Inhalants: Historical Perspective." In Health Hazards of Nitrate Inhalants, ed. Harry W. Haverkos and John A. Dougherty. Research Monograph 83. Rockville, MD: National Institute on Drug Abuse.

Parrott, Andy C.; R. M. Milani; R. Parmar; J. J. D. Turner, et al. 2001. "Recreational Ecstasy/MDMA and Other Drug Users from the UK and Italy: Psychiatric Symptoms and Psychobiological Problems." Psychopharmacology 159: 77-82.

Rhodes, Tim. 1996. "Culture, Drugs, and Unsafe Sex: Confusion about Causation." Addiction 91(6): 753-758.

Temple, Mark T., and Barbara C. Leigh. 1992. "Alcohol Consumption and Unsafe Sexual Behavior in Discrete Events." Journal of Sex Research 29(2): 207-219.

                                          Jeremy C. Justus