The use of Drugs in the Search for a Human Aphrodisiac Experience

Abstract

This article delineates man's search for sexual pleasure through the aid of drugs and other substances. While myths prevail that drugs create the sexual libertine spirit, scientific evidence indicates that no known drug serves as an aphrodisiac. Alcohol and other drugs may be used in moderate doses to temporarily free sexual desire, lower inhibitions, and reduce anxiety. A drug, however, cannot by itself cause an individual to engage in sexual behavior that would otherwise be abhorrent to him. Excessive use of drugs usually is accompanied by diminished sexual interest and performance. L-Dopa and P.C.P.A. are the latest substances used where there have been claims of human sexual improvement. The reputed causal relationship between drugs and sex, however, appears to be inconsistent and quite secondary to psychological and emotional factors.