S/x on Dr/gs Reference
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Clinical evidence

Alcohol

CNS depressant·Recreational / illicit

Effect across the cycle

DesireBiphasic: Low-dose disinhibition raises psychological desire; expectancy effects are large.
ArousalBiphasic: Disinhibits subjective arousal at low dose; suppresses physiological genital response as BAC rises.
PerformanceInhibitory: Suppresses penile tumescence above low doses; chronic use drives erectile dysfunction.
ClimaxInhibitory: Increases ejaculatory latency; impairs orgasmic capacity at higher doses.
ExperienceBiphasic: Disinhibition and relaxation give way to sedation and numbing as dose climbs.
MemoryInhibitory: High doses fragment encoding; blackout at extreme intoxication.

Mechanism

Enhances GABA-A and inhibits NMDA transmission. Low doses disinhibit psychological arousal (part pharmacology, part learned expectancy); higher blood-alcohol levels suppress genital vasocongestion. Chronic use lowers testosterone and causes neuropathy and hypogonadism.

Pharmacokinetics
Onset minutes; effects track blood-alcohol concentration. Biphasic across the dose curve.
Reversibility
Acute effects fully reversible; chronic hypogonadism and neuropathy may persist.

Sex differences & notes

Reduces vaginal lubrication and orgasmic function in women; suppresses tumescence and prolongs ejaculatory latency in men except at very low doses.

Key sources

  • Rosen, experimental tumescence studies
  • Briddell & Wilson 1976
  • Int J Impot Res 2018 dose-response meta-analysis