How Does Alcohol Affect a Man Sexually?

Erectile Dysfunction - Jan 06, 2024

Updated at

Jun 03, 2024

Jennifer Litner - Reviewer Image
Medically reviewed by

Jennifer Litner

Written by

Jamie Smith

how does alcohol affect a man sexually

When it comes to enjoying parties, nights out with friends, and going on dates without drinking alcohol, these are all incomplete.

There is no doubt that drinking alcohol is a go-to substance that makes people more relaxed, happy, and stress-free. But when we talk about how alcohol affects a man sexually, the answer is not simple.

The effects of alcohol on erectile function are complicated. Many guys think they are doing better in bed with the confidence of alcohol use because it is an aphrodisiac drink, but it's not true.

Booze effects vary from person to person, and various factors can affect them, including how much you drink, age, underlying disease, etc.

In this guide, we’ll explore how alcohol impacts men’s sexual health, fertility, and performance, and we will also look at some ways to reduce alcohol dependence.

Correlation between alcohol and male libido

If you have been running with the concept of “more booze, more fun," you are wrong. No doubt, this magical elixir has been associated with a temporary boost in confidence and relaxation.

There is one study that says a moderate amount of alcohol could affect your sexual drive and boost libido in the short term. Taking a lower dose of alcohol can increase testosterone levels in men.

And if someone lacks courage before diving into bed with their partner, alcohol can be a great tool to help them overcome their obstacles.

However, one needs to understand the fine line between enhancement and inhibition. So what’s the real deal? It’s simple; the key is to maintain balance. If you are even one step ahead of the line, this liquid courage won’t spare your libido, testicular function, or other aspects of sexual health.

While talking about the intricate interactions between alcohol, male libido, and sexual function, this recognition becomes crucial for both scientific research and practical concerns. These will reveal what bodily aspects are really affected by alcohol. 

Whether you enjoy a glass of wine with your partner, a beer with your buddies, or a shot of liquor before a night out, be informed of alcohol’s effects on your overall sexual life.

Another study found the more interesting fact that social settings and alcohol consumption in groups can enhance mood and desire for sexual activity.

How does alcohol affect men’s sexual health?

Sex and alcohol are often seen as a perfect match, which we are not denying completely, but it makes sense only to some extent.

Drinking alcohol in moderation may not harm your health, but excessive alcohol use can cause long-term problems with fertility. It can decrease the levels of testosterone, causing lower sexual drive and sperm quality.

It also leads to harmful effects, including accidents, brain damage, cancer, liver disease, mental health issues, lower penis sensation, and more.

So next time you try to open that bottle of champagne for every small celebration, you might want to consider the below-given impacts:

It can lead to erectile dysfunction.

This statement is as old as time itself. Moreover, the irony of this statement is that a majority of alcoholics and ED sufferers are aware of it, but they still choose to ignore it.

Many studies suggest that prolonged and excessive alcohol consumption is tied to several sexual dysfunctions, ED being the most prominent one.

Your blood vessels, blood flow, nerve function, mind, and hormones are equally involved in the process of making it easy for men to get and maintain an erection, but over-booze depresses the core nervous system that slows down the single between the brain and penis, affecting blood vessel function and muffles nerve impulses.

It's proven that dehydration due to alcoholic drinks can increase levels of the hormone angiotensin, which narrows blood vessels and prevents more blood from rushing into the genitals, causing erection difficulty.

Moreover, nothing is safe from this ‘pleasure drink’ as hormonal levels, testosterone, are also vulnerable to excessive doses of alcohol. If we state this, the relationship between liquor and impotence is dose-dependent.

It can slow down or speed up ejaculation.

Usually, these two sexual dysfunctions are considered two sides of the same coin. Similar to the relationship between libido and alcohol, the connection between booze and PE is also dose-dependent.

It directly influences the central nervous system of the brain and other physiological mechanisms that are responsible for the mechanics down there.

To be more precise, alcohol turns on the depressant chemicals while slowing down neural activity, sensitivity, and ejaculation reflexes all at once.

Alcohol intake may boost your confidence at the moment, but in the long run, it triggers anxiety issues, birthing early ejaculation-like conditions. Other aspects impacted would be blood flow, hormone levels, and dehydration.

Other sexual problems

The list of sexual problems associated with alcohol is quite comprehensive. Plunged libido, ED, PE, little sensitivity (down in the northern regions), orgasmic difficulty, and many more—just name it.

If you want to dive even deeper into alcohol inhibitions, let us take you into the blues. Other than the aforementioned popular dysfunctions, there are reproductive issues that degrade sperm quality, motility and count.

Another one is anorgasmia, which means facing hell to achieve orgasm and having the longest refractory period. Not only this, but the likelihood of riskier sexual activities also increases; for instance, unprotected coitus, which might cause STDs or unwanted pregnancy.

How does alcohol cause decreased sensitivity?

In simple terms, alcohol enters the neurological wiring of the brain, leading to weakened sensory perception like touch. However, this perception differs based on the circumstances.

However, the commonly known way is given below:

  • Firstly, it raises the hyperactive neurotransmitter glutamate in the brain and hampers the inhibitory GABA (neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid). As a result, the brain experiences a general repressive impact that slows down neuronal activity; hence, information cannot be interpreted as quickly, which would lessen sensitivity to external stimuli.
  • This ‘pleasure drink’ changes the channels through which cells pass the messages, leading to a mix-up of communication, and hence the senses are dampened to perceive the stimulus.
  • Thirdly, our boozy drink creates a disturbance in cerebral blood flow, negatively impacting the oxygen and necessary nutrient supply to the brain. This reduces the brain's capacity to perceive, process, and react to stimulation.

Also, check out, the Benefits of Cloves Sexually and how this natural remedy can enhance men's reproductive system.

Alcohol and male fertility

The fertility aspect is influenced in several interrelated ways. According to the research, it interferes with the control of hormones by raising estrogen (the female hormone) and lowering testosterone (the male hormone), which hurts sperm quality as well as production.

Speaking further, the DNA of the sperm is hugely impacted by firewater, instantly degrading fertility. On top of that, the oxidative damage created within impairs the sperm’s functions, directly lowering the likelihood of successful fertilization.

Alcohol impacts our orgasm.

Now there is a very close tie between hampered neurological sensitivity and orgasm. How? Too much alcohol consumption dulls the transmitting signals, making it more difficult for individuals to experience pleasure and reach climax.

From the physiological side, aspects like cognition, judgment, communication, and pleasure interpretations suffer greatly. On a psychological level, it breaks emotional connectivity with the person. When all these impairments are combined, attaining an orgasm is next to impossible.

The severe asymmetry in the brain’s neurotransmitters is majorly responsible for anorgasmia, as they don’t let out the important hormones. These hormonal swings have the potential to disrupt the onset and potency of an orgasm, therefore impacting the whole sexual conundrum.

Mixing medications and alcohol

Although a limit on alcohol consumption is not necessarily poison, mixing it with certain drugs or therapeutic medications may make the effects as detrimental or fatal as poison. For instance, the function of antidepressants is reversed when taken along with alcohol.

Anxiety heightens, depression sets in, severe drowsiness, impaired coordination, and, in some cases, behaviors of self-harm may emerge.

Moreover, mixing alcohol and sexual enhancement pills or ED-fixing medicines like Cenforce 100 mg and Vidalista 20 mg may lead to adverse effects.

It also acts as a vasodilator and triggers life-threatening symptoms like extreme plunge blood pressure, an erratic pulse and heartbeat, a throbbing head, and so on.

So before you choose to mix medications and alcohol, better get advice or consult with your healthcare provider about the drug’s interaction with alcohol.

Do not neglect the potential risks and adverse impacts of these two.

Takeaways: How does alcohol affect a man sexually?

Alcohol is neither an aphrodisiac nor bad for sexual health, but drinking excessively can cause various disorders and seriously impact your sexual performance.

Alcohol has psychoactive properties that can give you an extra "spark" and make you feel confident in bed, but this isn’t always the case.

As we described above, overdoing it on the booze in the long term may cause erectile dysfunction, lower libido, delayed or premature ejaculation, and reduced testosterone levels. decreased penile sensitivity, and more that make it harder for you to connect with your partner intimately.

There are some steps that you can follow to keep more fun in your sex life, such as limiting your drinks, matching drinks with water, keeping yourself motivated, and having more fun with friends or family instead of feeling lonely and depressed.
In other words, if you are struggling with sexual dysfunctions, talking to a doctor or taking essential medications like Super P Force Oral Jelly can make your performance better.