ChemSex is a popular way of combining recreational drugs with sex. It’s not rocket science to guess what it’s about. But when you combine drugs with any kind of activity, there are certain things to watch out for. Keep reading to find out more about this party activity often called “Party and Play”.
Drugs can be fun but if used incorrectly they can also cause damage or even death. When it comes to sex however there’s more to be considered. We all know how messy sex can be when you’re drunk so being stoned probably has the same challenges.
Before you try any new substance, you should think about it carefully. After all, nobody wants to end up in A&E in just their birthday suit. Different drugs can have different consequences and combining them sometimes isn’t the best idea.
Boner pills
One of the most popular type of drugs used in the bedroom is boner pills. You’ve probably all heard of Viagra or its’ less well known brother Cialis. When you struggle to get an erection or keep it up for long enough, using an erectile enhancement aid is an option.
While using any kind of erectile aid is fine for treatment of erectile dysfunction, using it recreationally to improve your sexual performance is risky. Ultimately, taking boner pills when you don’t need to can leave you with erectile disfunction later in life.
It’s always best to consult your doctor before you take them. It might be that the issue isn’t in your pocket, but could be more to do with performance anxiety. If you’re too nervous to speak to your doctor in person, you can get safe prescriptions online which you can collect in a convenient pharmacy or have shipped directly.
GHB (gammahydroxybutrate)
GHB is a popular ChemSex drug which is commonly used in gay culture as well as heterosexual. While it is said to create a sense of euphoria, heightened pleasure and increase energy it also has serious side effects. Most critical is the sedative and anaesthetic qualities of GHB.
If somebody has a bad reaction, they can experience fits, slip into a coma or go into cardiac arrest. Using it regularly can lead to addiction which is hard to break due to the severity of the withdrawal symptoms. Taking any drug with anaesthetic qualities can also lead to injury during sex when people are unaware of how rough they’re really being.
Crystal Meth (methamphetamine)
Crystal Meth is one of the other most common drugs used during sex. It releases dopamine, serotonin and norepinephrine in the brain which creates a buzz. Users report feeling less sexual inhibitions, having more energy and libido while feeling charged up and alert.
Like GHB and Miaow Miaow, Crystal Meth can be very toxic and hard to monitor the potency of a given dose. This is due to it being mixed or ‘cut’ with other products besides the drug itself. While having dangerous side effects including hallucinations, paranoia and thoughts of suicide.
It has been connected to cases of murder, rape and violence amongst drug users. Due to lapses in judgement leading to violence which might not have happened if they were sober.
Miaow Miaow (Mephedrone)
Miaow Miaow is a common recreational drug taken when people want to party and play. It’s the fourth most popular drug after cannabis, cocaine and heroine. With it being reported to have similar effects.
People choose M-cat because it is meant to give you a higher sex drive, euphoria, more energy and alertness. While on the downside it can cause a heightened heart rate which can lead to heart attacks, paranoia, palpitations and pupil dilation to name just a few.
A major problem with Miaow Miaow is simply not quite knowing what’s in it. This makes it hard to gauge how toxic any given amount really is as it gets mixed with other things. When taking two same sized amounts of it, you may experience totally different effects.
Naturally, if things go wrong and you end up in A&E/ER, it’s hard for the doctors to know exactly what you’ve taken. Chances are you won’t know either and so struggle to measure what a ‘safe’ amount of it is for you.
Why is ChemSex risky?
One of the major risks of ChemSex is that it affects your decision making. While your judgement might normally be good and keep you safe, when you’re high on stimulants you can sometimes lapse in being sensible.
Often when people are taking substances, they feel more confident and think less about risks. This makes it more likely that they’ll forget to use a condom and have unprotected sex. This can obviously lead to you catching an STI such as chlamydia or gonnorhea.
While drug users who share needles put themselves at risk of catching something more serious like syphilis or HIV. Sharing needles is never safe even when you think you know the person who is also using them. The major risk being that they may be unaware of any STIs they’re carrying which haven’t shown symptoms. Ignorance puts both of you at risk.
Aside from the risks of ChemSex causing people to forget to use contraception, there are inherent risks in drug taking itself. Not knowing exactly how toxic the drugs are is a major problem as it makes it hard to monitor what a safe dosage is. While unexpected side effects can also crop up which may have long term consequences caused over longer usage.
If a woman is taking the birth control pill, vomiting due to taking ChemSex drugs can make her contraception ineffective. Therefore this causes a risk of having an unwanted pregnancy.
ChemSex conclusion
The key points to be aware of when engaging in any kind of sexual activity is safety and consent. When you make a conscious decision to try something new, you should be sure that your safety and that of your partner is protected. Sharing needles and engaging in unprotected sex carries a lot of unnecessary risk.
Pursuing pleasure doesn’t have to put you in harms way. While ChemSex users report positive experiences, the come down can be severe and developing an addiction is expensive and harmful. For more information on sexual health you can contact your local sex clinic for support.