We’re in the midst of a psychedelic renaissance, with several studies highlighting their potential health benefits, ranging from managing mental disorders to even alleviating menopause symptoms. Now, in tapping into their potential, recent research has suggested that psychedelics may serve to improve sexual function and satisfaction.
Are Psychedelics the New Viagra?
Sexual dysfunction can be a symptom of mental health disorders, and studies have suggested that psychedelics can improve mental health, with a new study set out to find an association between psychedelics and sexual function.
For the study, researchers tasked 261 participants to answer a questionnaire about their experiences before and after using psychedelics. The psychedelics featured included psilocybin/magic mushrooms, ayahuasca, DMT, San Pedro, and LSD.
The participants had either taken psychedelics for recreational reasons, or were part of a smaller group from a clinical trial examining psilocybin for depression.
Per the findings of the study, published in Nature Scientific Reports, participants reportedly experienced, on average, improvements in several areas of sexual functioning and satisfaction. These included improved pleasure and communication during sex, satisfaction with one’s partner, and physical appearance.
How do psychedelics improve your sex life?
According to the study’s authors, the answer to this is purely psychological.
Tommaso Barba, first author of the study and Ph.D. student based at the Centre for Psychedelic Research at Imperial College London, explains that the psychological aspects of sexual function – including how we think about our bodies, our attraction to our partners, and our ability to connect to people intimately – are all important to psychological wellbeing in sexually active adults.
Dr. Michele Leno, a licensed psychologist and founder of DML Psychological Services, PLLC, who was not involved in the study, echoed these sentiments to Medical News Today.
“While we understand the physical part, we tend to overlook or downplay the emotional aspect of sexual activity,” she said, “This is not to say that everyone feels viscerally connected to sexual partners, but the thoughts and feelings that enter our brains prior to sex can influence its outcome.”
Dr. Barba added that the study’s findings suggest potential implications for conditions that negatively affect sexual health, including clinical depression and anxiety,
“This is particularly significant given that sexual dysfunction, often induced by antidepressants, frequently results in people stopping these medications and subsequently relapsing.”
Psychedelics as future sexual enhancements
With all of that said, it’s important to note that the study did have its limitations.
For one, it was based on self-reporting and the second trial featuring participants taking psychedelics for depression also had them taken off SSRI medicines before taking psychedelics, and it is known that SSRI medications can decrease sexual desire and functioning.
Also, the majority of participants were mostly white, heterosexual, employed, and well-educated, making it difficult to determine just how effective psychedelics may be in a more diverse pool.
Want to know more?
While it may be a while before psychedelics are prescribed for better sexual function, the nation of Australia isn’t wasting any time in administering it for other reasons. Recently, two patients in Melbourne received treatment with psychedelic-assisted therapy, marking the first time patients had received these treatments outside of research in a legal, regulated clinical setting with scheduled psychedelic medicines in over 50 years.
References
Barba, T., Kettner, H., Radu, C. et al. Psychedelics and sexual functioning: a mixed-methods study. Sci Rep 14, 2181 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-49817-4
