Addiction and sexual health: The connection is no longer "holy"

The connection between sex and addictive
substances has been an issue of intrigue for
mankind since antiquity. Human beings, the
most intelligent of all the life forms on the
earth, had been applying their inquisitive
nature to enhance their sexual performance
and pleasure and had employed various
addictive substances for this purpose
(Hamilton and Aldridge, 2020). The
substances have been used as aphrodisiacs to
increase desire and performance, to decrease
anxiety before coitus, and as a remedy for
certain sexual disorders(Grover et al., 2014).
One would agree that this approach has
yielded positive results for many, leading to
continued use of substances for the
purposes mentioned above. Ayurveda, the
ancient Indian system of medicine, has
discussed and recommended the use of a
preparation known as 'Kamini' that primarily
contains natural opioids to treat male sexual
dysfunction (Basu et al., 2010). Thus, it seems
that the connection between sex and
substances was primarily "Holy" to begin
with.
However, as civilization progressed and the
industrial revolution kicked in, substances of
all kinds have become easily available, and
their use has increased like anything(Crocq,
2007). With wider use, the intermixing of
substances with sex has probably become
more common. Substances exert significant
adverse effects on the users' body and mind,
and sexual health is no exception. Thus, the
connection between the two has no longer
continued to be "Holy."