Can Psychedelics Increase Sexual Interest And Satisfaction? Study Says Yes And Effects Can Last Months

A new study suggests a potential link between the use of psychedelics like magic mushrooms and LSD and improved sexual function up to six months after they have been consumed.

Believed to be the first scientific research into the effects of psychedelics on sex, the new findings combine responses from nearly 300 participants who reported overall improvements after a psychedelic experience.

Conducted by a group of researchers from Imperial College Center for Psychedelic Research and published in Nature, the study gathered responses from two groups: people independently taking psychedelics for recreational, wellness or ceremonial purposes and a small group participating in a psychedelic clinical trial for depression treatment.

Led by researcher Tommaso Barba, the team combined online survey responses from the two groups, completed before their psychedelic experience, four weeks after and six months after.

People belonging to the naturalistic group took a set of substances including psilocybin mushrooms/truffles, ayahuasca, DMT, San Pedro and LSD, while the clinical trial group took psilocybin.

What They Found

Of the 250 people in group one, responses showed overall improvements across all areas of sexual functions for up to six months after the psychedelic experience. These included enjoyment of sex, sexual arousal, attraction to a partner, satisfaction with sex and with their own physical appearance, communication and a sense of connection and openness.

The most significant improvements, researchers found, were in sexual pleasure, satisfaction with their own appearance, satisfaction and communication with their partner and perceiving sex as a "spiritual experience."

The study on group two, led by the Center's former director Prof. Robin Carhart-Harris, looked at 59 people participating in a psilocybin clinical trial for treating major depressive disorder, 30 of whom were given psilocybin and 29 the antidepressant escitalopram.

Of this second group, participants given psilocybin were more likely to report improvements across all areas of sexual function following the trial. Nearly half of the participants in the psilocybin arm reported significant improvements in sexual arousal, interest, satisfaction with sex and communication with their partner.

On the other hand, patients who took the SSRI tended to report decreases. An exception was satisfaction with self-appearance, which improved in both study arms. Levels of reported sexual dysfunction were also significantly lower for the psilocybin group compared to the escitalopram group (13% vs. 59% reported dysfunction at the end of the trial.)

Neither study found a significant change in participants’ perceived importance of sex after a psychedelic experience, indicating the potential of substances to help people transform their perception and relation to sexual experiences toward an improvement in sexual well-being.

Encouraging Path Forward

Researcher Tommaso Barba said the findings suggest potential implications for conditions that negatively affect sexual health, including clinical depression and anxiety. Further, he noted, psilocybin can potentially help avoid drug-induced sexual dysfunction, a known side effect of current gold standard antidepressants.

The research team said the new findings open the possibility for applications in several therapeutic settings, including couples therapy.

"On the surface, this type of research may seem ‘quirky', but the psychological aspects of sexual function – including how we think about our own bodies, our attraction to our partners, and our ability to connect to people intimately – are all important to psychological wellbeing in sexually active adults," said Barba. "Sexuality is a fundamental human drive. For example, we know that sexual dysfunction is linked to lower well-being in healthy adults, can impact relationship satisfaction, and is even linked to subjective happiness and ‘meaning in life.'"

Study limitations exist, roughly including the questionnaire-based nature of the data as well as the fact that participants were predominantly white, heterosexual, employed and well-educated, limiting potential generalization across populations.

Also, while findings are encouraging, it must be noted that the trials testing psilocybin for depression took place under controlled clinical conditions, using a regulated and lab-formulated dose along with psychological support before, during and after dosing by mental health professionals. It is unadvised for patients with depression to self-medicate with psychedelics, as taking substances without such careful safeguards may not have a positive outcome.

Photo courtesy of Gerd Altmann on Pixabay