Today marks the debut of our weekly column. We're both professors of pharmacology at Duke University Medical Center and have spent years studying the effects of drugs on the brain. So go ahead, ask us anything. And look for the answers every Wednesday in this space. Dear Buzzed, Ever since my boyfriend started smoking pot, we haven't been having as much sex.
Many drugs affect sexual behavior, including recreational drugs like alcohol and ecstasy.
This shouldn't be a surprise if you understand that sex starts in the brain. Sexual desire and arousal begin when somebody sexy appears, which activates cells in your brain. These neurons turn you on and start the changes in blood flow that cause your boyfriend's hard-on and your own arousal. A lot of people think that marijuana decreases testosterone, sperm count and interest in sex. This is probably right.