Alcohol and sex

Several reviews and meta-analyses of existing literature show that low to moderate alcohol consumption significantly decreases erectile dysfunction risk.

[13][14] As testosterone is critical for libido and physical arousal, alcohol tends to have deleterious effects on male sexual performance.

Studies have been conducted that indicate increasing levels of alcohol intoxication produce a significant degradation in male masturbatory effectiveness (MME).

[17] Studies have shown that acute alcohol consumption tends to cause increased levels of testosterone and estradiol.

[21][22][23] Frietas stated that in her study, the relationships between drinking and the party scene and between alcohol and hookup culture were "impossible to miss".

[24] Studies suggest that the degree of alcoholic intoxication in young people directly correlates with the level of risky behavior,[25] such as engaging in multiple sex partners.

[26] In 2018, the first study of its kind, found that alcohol and caffeinated energy drinks is linked with casual, risky sex among college-age adults.

[27] Alcohol intoxication is associated with an increased risk that people will become involved in risky sexual behaviors, such as unprotected sex.

[33] (See also: fetal alcohol spectrum disorder) Rape is any sexual activity that occurs without the freely given consent of one of the parties involved.

This includes alcohol-facilitated sexual assault which is considered rape in most if not all jurisdictions,[35] or non-consensual condom removal which is criminalized in some countries (see the map below).

A 2008 study found that rapists typically consumed relatively high amounts of alcohol and infrequently used condoms during assaults, which was linked to a significant increase in STI transmission.

[37] One of the most common date rape drugs is alcohol,[39][40][41] administered either surreptitiously[42] or consumed voluntarily,[39] rendering the victim unable to make informed decisions or give consent.

For example, rape during the liberation of Serbia was committed by Soviet Red Army soldiers against women during their advance to Berlin in late 1944 and early 1945 during World War II.

A study published in 2003 supported the beer goggles hypothesis; however, it also found that another explanation is that regular drinkers tend to have personality traits that mean they find people more attractive, whether or not they are under the influence of alcohol at the time.