Trade Sexual Health
Free, confidential health advice, information,
services & support for the lesbian, gay, bisexual
and trans communities of Leicester,
Leicestershire & Rutland
Sex & drugs
Know the score...
A big difference between how lesbian, gay, bisexual, and trans people use drugs compared to straight people is that we’re much more likely to use them during sex.
What drugs can add to sex
Drugs, including alcohol, can make us feel more sexually confident or sexier in general -- using steroids to build an impressive body is an example. They can improve our sexual performance and give us added stamina for longer sex sessions, where you don't need to stop for food or sleep as much. Some have an aphrodisiac quality (they make us horny), others can become so linked in our minds with sex that we feel more ‘up for it’ just by taking them.
Drugs and risky sex
How drugs loosen our control has its downsides. We may decide to do things we wouldn’t do if sober, including high risk acts like unprotected anal or vaginal sex. Although some of us might blame drink and drugs for ‘making’ us have unsafe sex, it’s often a case that they make it easier for us do what we wanted to all along. But plenty of people manage to keep to their safer sex limits despite being off their faces. If we need to take HIV medications, being ‘out of it’ can mean we forget to take our pills or not take them how and when we should, which risks our treatment failing.
Keeping yourself up-to-date with how drugs can effect your health and sex life can help you stay in control of the risks, and help you chose the types of sex you want.
