Facts About Sex and Alcohol

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Researches made clear the reason alcohol has an effect on human sexuality as described in Shakespeare’s Macbeth, “It provokes the desire, but it takes away the performace.”

Reports from Harvard Medical School say that alcohol directly suppresses production of testosterone, a major male sex hormone.

“When alcohol enters gonadal tissues such as the testicles,” the report says, “it is broken down by biochemical processes that ordinarily would be used to make testosterone.  The oftnoted paradox in male sexual performance during alcohol intoxication may be associated with decreased levels of testosterone.”

Then comes the next step.  When testosterone levels are lowered in blood following heavy alcohol intake, this decrease signals the brain to activate the pituitary gland (often called the master gland) to secrete a hormone (luteinizing hormone) that stimulates testosterone production.  It is believed that this process may be associated with increased sexual desire during alcohol intoxication.”

Increased desire, decreased performance – a frustrating scenario for drinkers.

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