Hormones, Health, Medications, & Substances
Hormones, Health, Medications, & Substances
Something as ordinary as how well you've slept can affect how interested you feel in sex. A prescription medication might make orgasm harder to reach. A few drinks might help you relax while making an erection less reliable.
Something as ordinary as how well you've slept can affect how interested you feel in sex. A prescription medication might make orgasm harder to reach. A few drinks might help you relax while making an erection less reliable.
Hormones, fitness, circulation, medications, and substances can all influence your sex life, but not in the same way or to the same degree.
Hormones, fitness, circulation, medications, and substances can all influence your sex life, but not in the same way or to the same degree.
Start With What Sounds Most Familiar
Start With What Sounds Most Familiar
What Hormones Can Actually Change
What Hormones Can Actually Change
Testosterone gets a lot of attention whenever men talk about sex. And there's a reason for that. It can influence desire, energy, and other parts of sexual response.
Testosterone gets a lot of attention whenever men talk about sex. And there's a reason for that. It can influence desire, energy, and other parts of sexual response.
But testosterone isn't a master switch for sex. Getting turned on, getting hard, and enjoying yourself depend on plenty of other things, too. That's worth remembering if you're thinking about getting tested or starting TRT.
But testosterone isn't a master switch for sex. Getting turned on, getting hard, and enjoying yourself depend on plenty of other things, too. That's worth remembering if you're thinking about getting tested or starting TRT.
Want to dig a bit deeper?
Want to dig a bit deeper?
Testosterone & Your Sex Life takes a closer look at where testosterone matters, how low levels can show up, and why fixing a hormone number doesn't necessarily address every sexual concern.
Testosterone & Your Sex Life takes a closer look at where testosterone matters, how low levels can show up, and why fixing a hormone number doesn't necessarily address every sexual concern.
When Sleep and Physical Health Affect Sex
When Sleep and Physical Health Affect Sex
A few nights of bad sleep can make sex less appealing. Going through a demanding stretch of training can leave you unusually tired. And conditions like sleep apnea can affect your health in ways that also show up sexually.
A few nights of bad sleep can make sex less appealing. Going through a demanding stretch of training can leave you unusually tired. And conditions like sleep apnea can affect your health in ways that also show up sexually.
Getting more sleep or exercising consistently may help, but you won't necessarily notice a difference in your sex life right away. And if you're pushing yourself too hard, you might feel less interested in sex even as your fitness improves.
Getting more sleep or exercising consistently may help, but you won't necessarily notice a difference in your sex life right away. And if you're pushing yourself too hard, you might feel less interested in sex even as your fitness improves.
Want to dig a bit deeper?
Want to dig a bit deeper?
Sleep & Your Sex Life and Fitness & Your Sex Life explore how sleep, physical health, exercise, and recovery can influence desire and sexual response over time.
Sleep & Your Sex Life and Fitness & Your Sex Life explore how sleep, physical health, exercise, and recovery can influence desire and sexual response over time.
When a Medication Might Be Part of the Picture
When a Medication Might Be Part of the Picture
Maybe you started an antidepressant and orgasm takes longer. Maybe your erections have been less predictable since changing a blood pressure medication. Or you're trying to figure out whether something you take every day affects your sex drive.
Maybe you started an antidepressant and orgasm takes longer. Maybe your erections have been less predictable since changing a blood pressure medication. Or you're trying to figure out whether something you take every day affects your sex drive.
The timing can be a useful clue, but it isn't proof. And even if a medication is contributing, that doesn't necessarily mean you have to choose between your treatment and your sex life. It's worth talking through the options with your prescriber rather than changing or stopping a medication on your own.
The timing can be a useful clue, but it isn't proof. And even if a medication is contributing, that doesn't necessarily mean you have to choose between your treatment and your sex life. It's worth talking through the options with your prescriber rather than changing or stopping a medication on your own.
Want to dig a bit deeper?
Want to dig a bit deeper?
Prescription Medications & Your Sex Life looks at how different medications can affect desire, erections, sensation, and orgasm, along with why side effects aren't always easy to identify.
Prescription Medications & Your Sex Life looks at how different medications can affect desire, erections, sensation, and orgasm, along with why side effects aren't always easy to identify.
How Substances Can Affect Sex
How Substances Can Affect Sex
Alcohol can make you feel more relaxed while making erections harder to maintain. Cannabis can make touch feel more enjoyable for some people while leaving erections less predictable. And nicotine may feel stimulating, even though it can affect blood-vessel health over time.
Alcohol can make you feel more relaxed while making erections harder to maintain. Cannabis can make touch feel more enjoyable for some people while leaving erections less predictable. And nicotine may feel stimulating, even though it can affect blood-vessel health over time.
What you use, how much, and what you combine it with can all matter. Sometimes there's also a more immediate safety concern, like the dangerous drop in blood pressure that can happen when poppers are combined with Viagra or Cialis.
What you use, how much, and what you combine it with can all matter. Sometimes there's also a more immediate safety concern, like the dangerous drop in blood pressure that can happen when poppers are combined with Viagra or Cialis.
Want to dig a bit deeper?
Want to dig a bit deeper?
Recreational Substances & Your Sex Life explores how alcohol, nicotine, cannabis, stimulants, and other substances can affect different parts of the sexual experience.
Recreational Substances & Your Sex Life explores how alcohol, nicotine, cannabis, stimulants, and other substances can affect different parts of the sexual experience.
Why Circulation Still Matters
Why Circulation Still Matters
Getting hard depends partly on your blood vessels relaxing so blood can flow into the penis. But if your erections are inconsistent, poor circulation isn't the only possibility.
Getting hard depends partly on your blood vessels relaxing so blood can flow into the penis. But if your erections are inconsistent, poor circulation isn't the only possibility.
Exercise can support healthy blood vessels over time, and nitric oxide helps those vessels relax. That doesn't mean every supplement promising better blood flow will make a noticeable difference during sex.
Exercise can support healthy blood vessels over time, and nitric oxide helps those vessels relax. That doesn't mean every supplement promising better blood flow will make a noticeable difference during sex.
Want to dig a bit deeper?
Want to dig a bit deeper?
Blood Flow Support looks at nitric oxide, circulation-focused supplements, and what the evidence supports. Fitness & Your Sex Life explores the broader relationship between exercise, physical health, and sexual response.
Blood Flow Support looks at nitric oxide, circulation-focused supplements, and what the evidence supports. Fitness & Your Sex Life explores the broader relationship between exercise, physical health, and sexual response.