1. Alcohol and marijuana make you feel sexier

According to one 32-year-old female participant from the study, "When I'm drunk, I'm drunk, so I'm like, 'I'm hot.' Then with weed, I usually feel more sexy ... and happy. You usually feel a little sexier, a little bit more turned on and ready to have sex, instead of being self-conscious."

2. However, while alcohol makes you more confident...

We've all heard the phrase 'Dutch courage' before, and this is why. Having a couple of beers or a cheeky glass of wine will lower your inhibitions, and make you more likely to pursue someone that you might not have had the guts to when sober. However, in men, this sometimes translates to aggression - so make sure to know your limits.

3. Weed can make you more insecure

Smoking invokes paranoia in some people, making them question their body image and personal sex appeal. It can also make you quieter than usual - which is completely opposite to the effect alcohol has on most users.

4. Smoking can also make you pickier

"When I'm high, I'm a people person, but I'm selective," reported one participant, a 35-year-old man. "When I drink, I don't mind being in a crowd of people. There are times I'll be high, and I'll go to a party, and I'll pick this guy or this girl. But when I'm drunk, I'm just going to mingle with everybody."

5. But it also makes people more attractive in general

Much like alcohol, weed makes people appear more appealing than they might normally do. And this doesn't just apply to strangers, either. Some participants of the study reported finding their partners more attractive after they'd smoked - and one 22-year-old woman claimed that "it's much worse on marijuana than on alcohol".

6. Alcohol puts you 'in the mood'

If, after a few gin and tonics, your mind starts to wander to that pretty girl at the bar, don't be ashamed - you're not alone. Alcohol is actually something of an aphrodisiac in that it makes people want sex more than they usually do.

7. Whereas smoking makes you more content in general

"Maybe I'm looking for [sex] more if I were drunk, whereas when I'm high, I'm happy doing other things," said one 31-year-old woman during the study. "Sex is great. Watching a movie is great. Resting's great. But when I'm drunk, f*****g would be great."

8. Men and women respond differently to alcohol

Across the board, alcohol seems to have similar effects on most people, regardless of gender. However, one exception is that men report feeling more 'bold' or 'confident', with one male participant stating that, "It feels like you get a lot more primal [on alcohol]." Women, on the other hand, say they feel more 'adventurous' - so, while they may not pursue somebody to do the deed with, they'd be more likely to comply if somebody approached them.

9. Booze makes you forget

Okay, we probably didn't need science to tell us this one - but it's probably one of the most important things to mention. Alcohol can cause blackouts, meaning that one person might remember a sexual encounter, while the other person might not. In order to avoid animosity with your partner/FWB/that guy you met at a bus stop, you should avoid inviting someone into your bed if you know you've had too much to drink.

10. And, while women regret having drunk sex...

Women are more likely to experience feelings of shame the morning after, with one participant saying: "When you're drunk, you might see somebody and be like, damn, he looks mad good. Then you wake up, you're like, oh, what the hell did I just do?"

11. Men just tend to regret who they slept with

Guys, on the other hand, don't really regret the act itself, but rather who they chose to do it with. "Oh, so much regret for alcohol," said one 20-year-old man. "Sometimes I hook up with girls I wouldn't normally have while sober."

12. People last longer when drunk

One of the effects alcohol has on the body is desensitization. Many people will associate this with feeling less pain, but it also changes the way you perform when doing the horizontal tango. Both men and women in the study reported being able to last longer - although some female participants pointed out that it can get uncomfortable after a while.

13. But both weed and booze can lead to dysfunction

Again, this is something that affected people regardless of gender. While alcohol and marijuana changes people's attitude towards sex, it doesn't really help in the physical sense. Guys can struggle to get it up, and some women reported finding it difficult to get 'naturally lubricated' after smoking.

14. Being high makes it harder to achieve orgasm

According to the participants, getting to a happy ending was difficult after smoking, because ingesting the drug affects concentration.

Like everything else; no sexual encounter is borne equal. You can have great sex, terrible sex, mind-blowing sex and then boring sex, all with the same person, in the space of a week. Though this seems counter-intuitive, it's really not that surprising once you realise that there are many factors which can influence the quality of your romp.

While we all know that the number of alcoholic beverages you've consumed prior to the fact, as well as something like what you chose to eat for dinner, can affect you and your partner's enjoyment - a recent study has established an altogether more rudimentary factor in the quality of your love-making.

It is reported that one in three American adults do not get enough sleep. Sexual issues are also common, with as many as 45 per cent of women and 31 per cent of men being actively concerned about the state of their sex lives. Now, while these may seem to be distinct concerns - unrelated apart from the fact that they both take place in the bedroom - sex educator and researcher, Laurie Mintz, has claimed to the contrary.

Mintz, who wrote A Tired Woman’s Guide to Passionate Sex did so to help the alleged "countless women" who say that they are too exhausted to be interested in sex. She states that women are disproportionately affected by both sleep problems and by low sexual desire, claiming that the relationship between the two is "indisputable". Certainly, women are not only more likely than men to have sleep problems, but the most common sexual complaint that women bring to sex therapists is, indeed, low desire.

"Strikingly, being too tired for sex is the top reason that women give for their loss of desire," Mintz added.

According to a study referenced by Mintz, getting a good night's sleep can increase desire. The research found that the longer a woman slept, the more interested they were in having sex - just one extra hour of sleep led to a 14 per cent increase in the chances of a sexual encounter the next day. The same study also alleged that sleep was associated with greater genital arousal.

While this particular investigation was conducted with college-aged women, these concerns only become more prevalent in older women, in particular, those going through menopause. A follow-up investigation discovered that among menopausal women, sleep problems were directly linked to a decreased appetite for sexual activity.

And it doesn't just end there. "Interrelated sleep and sexual issues are also prevalent among mothers," Mintz continued. "Mothers of new babies are the least likely to get a good night’s sleep, mostly because they are caring for their baby during the night. However, ongoing sleep and sexual issues for mothers are often caused by having too much to do and the associated stress. Women, who are married with school-age children and working full time, are the most likely to report insomnia. Still, part-time working moms and moms who don’t work outside the home report problems with sleep as well."

Though lack of sleep and insomnia appear to affect women's sexual functioning more than men's, it's apparent that they can still suffer from issues in these areas. Research found that, among young healthy men, a loss of sleep culminated in decreased levels of testosterone - the hormone which is responsible for much of our sex drive. As Mintz corroborates, "Clearly, among men, lack of sleep results in diminished sexual functioning."

So, there you have it - you better rest up folks - lest you want your sex drive to suffer.

With marijuana use rising in the United States, many people wonder how smoking weed influences fertility, especially in males. Marijuana, also known as weed, is the most commonly used drug in America. According to the CDC, around 18% of Americans used weed at least once in 2019. As of 2023, 38 states allow medical cannabis, and 24 states allow recreational use.

Research on marijuana’s effects on sperm and fertility has produced mixed results. Studies have examined sperm count, mobility, DNA changes, sexual function, and overall chances of conceiving. While some evidence points to negative effects on sperm health, other research has found little or no impact on fertility outcomes.

How weed affects sperm count and mobility

“Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the active compound of marijuana, binds to receptors in many different glands and tissues that are involved in sperm production,” says Matthias Hofer, MD, a urologist in San Antonio, Texas. “These receptors are found in the hypothalamus and pituitary gland, decreasing hormone production necessary for sperm production.”

Credit: Creative Images Lab/Getty Images

According to Doron Stember, MD, assistant professor of urology at the Icahn School at Mount Sinai, “There are many lab studies showing negative effects of marijuana on sperm. There are surprisingly few human trials, but they all demonstrate that cannabis use reduces sperm concentration, sperm motility (ability to swim), or both.”

A 2015 study of 1,215 Danish men found that those who regularly smoked weed more than once a week had 28% lower sperm concentration and 29% lower total sperm count. When weed was combined with other recreational drugs, these numbers were 52% lower sperm concentration and 55% lower total sperm count.

How weed affects sperm DNA

Some research suggests marijuana use may change sperm at the DNA level. A 2018 study published in the journal Epigenetics reported that marijuana actually mutates DNA in sperm. Researchers suspect THC is the cause of this disruption. They also noted that THC potency in weed has increased over the decades, with the THC to cannabidiol ratio rising from about 14:1 in 1995 to about 80:1 in 2014.

How weed affects sexual function and fertility

Studies have also looked at sexual function and broader fertility measures. An older 2010 study found that cannabis use decreased men’s ability to reach orgasm at a normal rate. A 2023 study with 811 participants of all genders reported that people perceived weed to increase sexual function and satisfaction, including increased orgasm intensity.

Evidence on fertility is not fully consistent. A 2019 study found that men who had used cannabis had significantly higher sperm concentration than those who never used it, with no notable differences between current and past users. A 2017 study of 1,577 men found cannabis use was linked to higher testosterone levels, though how recently someone used weed was more important than how often they had used it.

Sperm. Credit: Edward Berthelot/Getty Images

Regarding pregnancy rates, a 2018 study looking at male and female marijuana use and chances of getting pregnant in one menstrual cycle found little overall association between weed use and the probability of conception.

According to the source, “Although there is ample evidence that sperm count and quality is affected by THC if considering fertility overall (lower sperm count may still be sufficient for conception), it appears that there is no difference in the probability of couples getting pregnant among those using marijuana compared to those that did not, according to a recent study.”

The risks vs. the benefits of smoking weed

Health experts generally do not recommend marijuana for people trying to conceive. In addition to fertility concerns, the CDC lists possible negative health effects of marijuana, including addiction, negative effects on brain health, impaired driving, heart health impacts, lung damage from smoked weed, increased risk of mental health problems, the risk of children eating edibles by mistake, accidental overuse of edibles, and second‑hand smoke exposure.

The CDC also notes potential benefits, such as easing side effects of cancer and cancer therapies, and use for chronic pain relief.

“Based on the current evidence, it may be advisable to stop THC intake when conception is planned, even if the sperm count would likely be sufficient in the absence of other factors associated with decreased sperm count,” says Dr. Hofer. Dr. Stember agrees that those concerned about fertility should stop or reduce marijuana use, noting, “The more marijuana used, the more likely you are to have sperm problems.”

Featured image credit: Creative Images Lab/Getty Images

1. Smoking affects your performance 

Those who do not smoke can expect to enjoy longer lasting tumescence.

2. Being drunk does not equal good sex 

A lot of people say that drunk sex is the best sex, but your response to sexual activity when inebriated is a lot slower than normal and alcohol reduces your sexual function.

3. Female orgasms serve a dual 'purpose' - to help you get pregnant 

When women orgasm, their vaginal walls vibrate in a manner that increases the chances of sperm reaching an egg.

4. Older people are having more sex than ever 

Studies from several medical institutions suggest that sexual activity among 65 and older adults has increased over the last few years.

5. Your sense of smell plays a key role 

Findings point to sense of smell as a vital part of sexual attraction.

6. Your nose swells in size during sex 

Weird.

7. Some condoms are made using milk products 

Are you lactose intolerant?

8. Average penis size reportedly comes in at 5.6 inches 

But it's all about how you use it.

9. Online surveys claim that 12% of adults have had work sex 

Risque.

10. Pubes are protecting you 

Shaving them increases your chances of catching a sexually transmitted disease.

11. Vibrators were invented as a cure for "female hysteria"

In the 19th Century.

12. Getting condom size right is important 

Don't just buy the biggest ones as a show of bravado.

13. Greece is the most sexually active nation

YAMMAS!

14. Whales have the biggest penis of any mammal 

On average, Killer Whales have eight foot members. All relative though, isn't it?

15. There is no correlation between penis size and shoe size 

The classic "Well, you know what they say..." is actually nonsense.