Alcohol Isn’t As Bad for Your Sex Life As You Thought
Good news for those who booze.
The scourge of whiskey dick is a threat that looms large over frat parties and the small but upscale apartments of investment bankers from coast to coast. And with good reason: there’s a proven link between alcohol consumption and erectile dysfunction. Alcohol constricts blood vessels and can therefore affect blood flow where you need it most. Plus, it’s a depressant. All that combined is no match for your raging hard on.
On the more serious end of the spectrum, studies suggest that alcohol is involved in over half of the sexual assault cases in America—and that’s unequivocally very bad. For a long time it’s seemed as though, prevalent as drinking is on the dating scene, it’s got a lot of very real dangers. But, if you don’t abuse it, is it always the sex life-killer we’ve made it out to be?
The Skyn Condom 2015 Millennial Sex Survey suggests that there may be some upsides to daily boozing after all. According to the study of 18-34 year olds, “Daily drinkers have more sex than those who do not drink alcohol, with 21% reporting having sex several times per day compared to 8% of non-drinkers.” So, for one, people who drink get laid significantly more.
But it doesn’t end there. Daily drinkers also report increased frequency of sex in untraditional locales, like in public, outside, or in hot tubs and pools. And as we know, novel sexual experiences contribute to fulfilling sex lives because of the rush of dopamine getting it on in new, strange places triggers in your brain.
Perhaps the biggest reason we reach for a drink or two before going on a date is the perceived confidence factor. Yet that might actually be a very real phenomenon: the researchers at Skyn say, “61% of those who drink alcohol daily report being “amazing” or “very good” in bed compared to 42% of those who never drink.” Liquid courage may be statistically viable after all.
And if you think mixing booze and bed is guaranteed to give you sloppy (and risky) results, think again. When it comes to non-drinkers, only 45% report using condoms, whereas 54% of daily drinkers use them.
The moral of the science? Be careful and drink responsibly. Alcohol is a powerful thing with many negative outcomes, but we may have been too quick to write off its benefits as a social lubricant. And after all, who doesn’t love lube?
Photos by Juhasz Peter / Getty Images
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