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Writer's pictureAmy Missin

Sex on drugs: what is it like?

And I don’t mean alcohol.


Disclaimer: this article is not promoting the use of drugs. It is merely interesting to hear different perspectives. All names have been changed.


Humans have intentionally been having sex on drugs for years . Extracts from the blue lotus flower were used by Ancient Egyptians, and in the 1960s American psychologist, Timothy Leary said: “LSD is the most powerful aphrodisiac ever discovered by man”.


According to the Office for National Statistics, around one in five adults aged between 16 to 24 years old had taken a drug in the last year. In the UK, cannabis, followed by cocaine, is the most commonly used. It’s popular in the entertainment industry too. From The Simpsons to Euphoria, there’s an abundance of shows and films depicting or suggesting sex and drug use. But what happens when you mix these in real life?


I asked Reddit users what the difference is between chemsex and ‘sober sex’, here's what they had to say…



JOHN

“Depends on what you take. It can make you more aroused, have increased sensations, euphoria, less inhibition, greater connectedness and stamina. You have to be thoughtful about what you use and how you use substances for it to have a positive impact in your life. The key is care and attention. I’m glad I didn’t start until my 30s. I’m able to use it in a way that’s productive in my life. And I doubt I could have done that in my younger years. Be very mindful of what you’re doing. Be honest with yourself about your intentions.”


ADAM

“My partner and I have been having sex on weed daily for about 10 years. It increases connection, sensation and gives us stronger, longer orgasms. We also sometimes have ‘sober sex’ but the orgasm seems dry in comparison.”


ROSE

“After you have sex on weed a few times you realise you’ve opened up pandora’s box and will want to try sex on multiple drugs. It’s a gateway drug.”


DAVID

“I can only speak for sex on weed, but for me it feels more intense and in my whole body. Also, you think less about other things. You can be fully in the moment. Don’t overdo it, otherwise ‘sober sex’ won’t fulfil you.”


MARY

“I have the same experience of feeling an orgasm in my whole body. Now I even have that sensation when I’m not high.”


ISAAC

“My first time on Molly was almost a flurry of confusion, like ‘how can anything feel this good?’. With that said I struggled to get it up most of the time.”


ABIGAIL

“While mollygasms are on a whole different tier, it hasn’t ruined ‘sober sex’ for me. Even for people like me who struggle with emotions are able to feel intimacy much easier.”



As would be expected with any drug use, it’s not all good all the time. Experts say chemsex can mean overstepping either your partner’s or your own boundaries, and increase the risk of STIs and bleeding due to unsafe sex. In a 2016 essay, Alastair Macfarlane from King’s College London said it is “fast becoming a public health concern.”


“A significant proportion of MSM (men who have sex with men) are regularly administering a concoction of substances to facilitate sexual arousal and longer sex sessions with multiple partners. This practice is fraught with public health issues ranging from drug overdose to HIV transmission and is fast becoming a burden on sexual health services across the UK.


To help solve these problems, information about harm reduction should be made readily available, and specialist services should be set up that are adequately equipped to manage patients with a range of physical, psychological and sexual health concerns.”



ANDREW

“People have bad trips and experiences with drugs all the time. If harm reduction isn’t taken seriously people can suffer, from addiction and neurotoxicity for example.”


WILLOW

“Be careful if your partner or you have had any history with mental illness. It’s a wild ride and the comedown can become a crash.”


STEVE

“Other than the boner killing side to MDMA, I had an experience where I started to hyperventilate, stood up and it felt like my blood turned to ice water. I nearly blacked out. For some reason that time messed with my blood pressure, I would get lightheaded for weeks after.”


JOE

“Depending on the amount taken, the next two to four days can feel like you’ve been drained.”


LUKE

“Drugs are always an unknown variable because they don’t do just one thing. They interact with your body and mind to create a response. There are no guarantees. People have bad trips. People become nauseous. Men may not be able to get an erection. You may become otherwise distracted and have no interest in sex. You may become so self-absorbed that your partner becomes annoyed with you. There are lots of bad things that can happen.”


More information on chemsex and where to find support:

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