27 Sep How Alcohol Can Affect Your Sexual Health
When you come home in the evenings, after a long and grueling day, do you like to crack open an ice-cold beer? Does the stress of the day make you want to open a bottle of wine as soon as you get home? Do you like to meet up with your group of guys to wind down over cocktails?
If you answered yes to any of those things, guess what? You’re completely normal!
Everyone needs to relax and enjoy a bit of “Me Time” at the end of every day. Just keep in mind, alcohol can negatively affect your sexual health.
On one hand, alcohol can enhance your sexual experiences by making you more relaxed and less anxious. This can make talking to someone easier and can help your conversation flow more easily. In turn, this can help your confidence level, making connections easier. Your libido can be enhanced, and your mood improved.
On the other hand, alcohol is a depressant and can greatly affect your erection. Alcohol acts as an anesthetic and is a sedative. If you drink enough alcohol, your penis can begin to feel numb. This makes it difficult to get and maintain an erection. Alcohol inhibits your ability to feel sensations. It will be harder to reach orgasm and if you do, it will likely be a less than normal sensation. Ultimately, heavy alcohol use can lower your testosterone, leading to many unwanted side effects. Low levels of testosterone can cause:
- Low energy
- Decreased sex drive
- Weight gain
- Depression
- Erectile dysfunction
- Irritability
It’s a difficult path to walk if you want to enjoy a glass of wine and have peak sexual performance. It can make you less inhibited, but it can also lessen your sexual prowess in the bedroom. To be on the safe side, only drink what you know you can safely consume without negative effects. Make sure that you have a designated driver, no matter what you choose to do. And always remember-Do Not Drink and Drive!
Lower inhibitions can also lead to bad decision-making. You are at greater risk of contracting STDs when you are under the influence of alcohol. Alcohol impairs your judgment and your motor skills. Many unplanned sexual encounters involve alcohol, and the thoughts of condoms are a million miles away.
On a different note, alcohol can also affect your fertility. If you and your partner have plans to start a family, you may want to cut down on alcohol consumption.
Higher than normal levels of drinking can lower your testosterone levels over time. In turn, this lowers your libido. Less than normal levels of testosterone affect sperm production. This reduces your fertility levels. Heavy drinking can also cause you to not be able to feel a normal level of sexual stimulation in the penis. This will make it harder to orgasm.
If you think that you may have low testosterone levels or have other questions regarding men’s health, contact LT Men’s Clinic at (817)416-5698 to schedule your initial consultation today.