$Unique_ID{BRK01242}
$Pretitle{Community and Social Problems}
$Title{Can Alcohol Create a Sexual Problem?}
$Subject{alcohol sex}
$Volume{Q-23}
$Log{}

Copyright (c) 1991   Tribune Media Services, Inc.


Can Alcohol Create a Sexual Problem?


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QUESTION:  Though she tries to hide it, a co-worker drinks too much.  She is
also the one who complains most bitterly about her lack of a "good" sex life.
Can it be the alcohol that is creating her sexual problem?

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ANSWER:  That's a difficult question to answer because alcohol can be both a
liberator and an inhibitor.  Some women report great sex while intoxicated,
while others can't perform.  This seeming contradiction could be due to the
fact that sexual problems relative to alcohol have more to do with the reasons
for drinking rather than the results of it.
     Unlike their male counterparts, alcoholic women usually identify the
onset of excessive drinking with a specific stressful event, like a divorce,
loss of a loved one, or a health problem such as infertility or breast cancer.
Drinking numbs the senses, takes the pressure off, relieves guilt, anxiety, or
fills a void.  Often, alcohol is used to "loosen up," and dull anxieties which
might inhibit sexual pleasure.  In fact, it's not uncommon for women who have
always used alcohol in this way to fear sex while sober.  They associate
arousal with inebriation, and early sobriety (three months to a year) may be
temporarily fraught with loss of desire or an inability to orgasm.
Conversely, there are alcoholic women who perform well sexually only when they
are sober.
     The truth is, alcoholism is an unpredictable addiction.  Personality
changes, depression, family conflicts, impaired performance on the job, and
self-hatred are all common by-products which could lead to sexual problems.
Physiologically, alcoholism can lead to diabetes, high blood pressure and
cystitis, which are sure to have some impact on sexual function.  Some studies
even suggest that as high as 74% of chemically dependent women have been
sexually or physically abused, often times resulting in an aversion to sex, or
painful and difficult intercourse.  Though I can't evaluate your co-worker's
problem with any degree of certainty, I am sure that professional counseling
would help overcome both her problems.
ÿ
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The material contained here is "FOR INFORMATION ONLY" and should not replace 
the counsel and advice of your personal physician.  Promptly consulting your 
doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical 
problem.
