Some think that drugs, including alcohol, can spark their sexual drive and even take them to “seventh heaven”. Yet, what have rehab doctors have found out?

By TANIA CHAPPI
bohemia.ns.cc.cu

A CubaNews translation.
Edited by Walter Lippmann.

Carried away by the artificial wings his father made for him, Icarus flew so close to the sun that the wax with which his wings were fastened melted, and he fell into the sea. (From the Greek myth)

How much Dr. Celestino Vasallo Mantilla may have seen in his office after 25 years of work in this field of sexology, as well as in his capacity as one of the founders of our National Sexual Education Center and current Head of the Sexology Department in the Medical School “Calixto García”!

As a Professor of Psychiatry, he studied Freud’s theories and those of the famed doctor’s followers about psychological disorders and their link with sexuality. His motivation was fueled when he found sexual performance-related problems among his own patients.

Tell us about your experience with drug addicts

‘Alcohol is one of the so-called legal drugs. In Psychiatry we study the effects of its abuse, including sexual dysfunction. Since the mid 1980s and up to two years ago I worked in a women-oriented service at Havana’s Psychiatric Hospital, where Dr. Ricardo González used to work with alcoholics and other addicted patients, so I took an interest in what he was doing.

My workload increased after that because I opened an office for sexual dysfunctions in the Hospital’s Outpatient Services facility (Mental Health). Specialists there send me patients having sexual performance problems from among the drug-dependence cases they heal.

Desire is not enough

Most of my patients right now are males over 40 who suffer from chronic alcoholism. Women too, and in less numbers, people addicted to illegal drugs.’

Even if much is emphasized about drug-taking harms, its impact on sexuality has been rarely publicized.

‘That’s right, despite how important sexuality is in human life. And sex in Cuba is paramount, especially in the case of men for reasons of machismo. Such harm must be made known. We know young people start drinking alcohol at very early ages, and there are many myths about the alleged “mercies” of that and other toxic substances.’

Tell me about them.

‘In face of a sexual dysfunction, some people resort to alcohol to avoid coping with their problem. Big mistake. I insist that alcoholism is a cause or a consequence of sexual inhibition, a consequence when you feel temporarily inhibited and drink to overcome that barrier out of your belief that alcohol can be exciting. As you keep drinking, you will be no longer able to start a relationship if a bottle is not within your reach in the first place. And then, by drinking more, your problem will gradually deepen. I’ve seen patients whose transitional dysfunction became permanent.

The same happens with other drugs. Far from healing anything, they make things worse.’

How do they alter sexuality?

‘Under the effects of drugs, 46% of people see their sexual fantasies affected, and twice that number, that is, 80% in the case of foreplay. These people go straight to intercourse without enjoying any sexual stimulation.

And this is the worst damage. Let’s start with alcohol, deemed a door drug, since it opens the way to other addictions. After a comprehensive review of the literature I found that some alcoholic patients between 20 and 29 years old also take marihuana and cocaine.

Dr. Celestino Vasallo is a clinical sexologist
recognized by the Latin American Federation
of Sexological and Sexual Education Societies

Those who drink in excess run the risk of suffering from erectile dysfunction, formerly called impotence, namely the individual’s inability to achieve and maintain an erection long enough to have intercourse and attain satisfaction.

Or they have ejaculation dysfunctions, that is, they are incapable of controlling ejaculation, which can be premature, delayed or none at all regardless of the person’s desire.

In studies of couples where the man was an alcoholic, most women said their husbands saw them not as women but as mothers, for they wanted affection and understanding instead of sex.’

What about the effects of other substances...?

‘For a very long time marijuana was believed to have no effect on sexual performance. Now we know that it may initially cause a sensation of mental lucidity and peacefulness, but its use brings forth ejaculation dysfunction.

Ten years ago some doctors in California measured testosterone (male hormone) levels in 500 young marijuana smokers. A second measurement four weeks later showed a 30% hormonal reduction. So marijuana can also give rise to male infertility and female sterility.

Cocaine generates euphoria at first, by no means a sign of good sexual performance. On the contrary, its consumption leads to a gradual loss of desire and arousal, an erectile dysfunction in the case of men.

Why spoil the pleasure?

Another negative side effect: addicts tend to become promiscuous and change their partners constantly, for lack of satisfaction with any of them. Rather than seeking medical help, some blame their problems on the other member.

Likewise, drugs reduce your level of consciousness and personal values and users may become swingers or have group sex. Afterward, once their minds are clear, they suffer from psychic alterations and feel bad about having done things they didn’t really want to. I remember a young patient I had who even had same-sex relations without being a homosexual, and he was devastated as a result.’

Can medical treatment revert the situation?

‘Above all, it’s critical that you stop taking toxic substances and go see a doctor as soon as possible. Even if you manage to control addiction, the disorders usually continue for a long period of months, if not years.

The shorter the time spent taking drugs and suffering from a dysfunction, the better the chance to beat it. However, I repeat, it won’t happen overnight. Unfortunately, once you fall into that condition it won’t be easy to come out. And taking the habit back will entail sexual problems all over again.’