NCJ Number
235968
Editor(s)
Patricia Ferguson, M.L.S.,
Thomas Lennox, M.L.S.,
Dan J. Lettieri, Ph.D.
Date Published
November 1974
Length
87 pages
Annotation
Summaries are provided of studies selected from a literature review that focused on how various drug types or combinations influence sexual behavior.
Abstract
Six papers focus on how multi-drug use affects sexual behavior. One study concludes that marijuana, LSD, and the other psychedelics have not been shown to have any specific sexually stimulating function. Another study focuses on the influence on sexual behavior of alcohol, marijuana, barbiturates, amphetamines, cocaine, amyl nitrite, psychedelics, and heroin. Two studies focus on drug-taking among young patients being treated for venereal diseases. Another study in this section considers psychiatric disorders and disability in the female homosexual, followed by a study of drug use among prostitutes in the United States. Another group of papers focuses only on the influence of marijuana use on sexual behavior. These studies generally conclude that there is little empirical support for the thesis that marijuana either causes or is a significant factor in the heightening of sexual aggression or the commission of sexual offenses. There is, however, evidence that it may diminish the sex drive and reproductive capability in men. Other studies address the impact of amphetamines on sexual behavior. These studies found no conclusive evidence that amphetamines in themselves uniformly increase sexual drive, but rather involve an interaction of drug effects, personality characteristics, and individual sex drives. One study focused on LSD's influence on sexual behavior. It concludes that psychedelics offer the possibility of "enriching the sexual life of the average individual and show some promise in alleviating sexual pathology." The final section of selected studies considers the influence of heroin and methadone on sexual behavior. Study findings are mixed, but generally indicate that the opiates themselves, particularly when used in higher doses tend to suppress the sex drive. A selective bibliography