# Alcohol affecting sexual performance
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcohol-affecting-sexual-performance/281553
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [December 25, 2004, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcohol-affecting-sexual-performance/281553 "2004-12-25T02:37:14Z")
**Posts on this page:** 16
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@legion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/legion)
#### Post date: [December 25, 2004, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcohol-affecting-sexual-performance/281553/1 "2004-12-25T02:37:14Z")
I’ve heard many times that, in a male, excessive alcohol can lead to the inability to gain an erection.
Yet when I am drunk, I can always get an erection but often I cannot climax. Is this unusual?
---
### Author:  [@mrkmarors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mrkmarors)
#### Post date: [December 25, 2004, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcohol-affecting-sexual-performance/281553/2 "2004-12-25T03:12:07Z")
> [@legion](#):
>
> I’ve heard many times that, in a male, excessive alcohol can lead to the inability to gain an erection.
>
> Yet when I am drunk, I can always get an erection but often I cannot climax. Is this unusual?
This is a condition i’ve heard described as “whisky dick” not all that unusual.
---
### Author:  [@aahala](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aahala)
#### Post date: [December 25, 2004, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcohol-affecting-sexual-performance/281553/3 "2004-12-25T03:23:21Z")
Excessive alcohol may reduce sexual performance, but it enhances vision. The more you have, the better they look.
---
### Author:  [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)
#### Post date: [December 25, 2004, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcohol-affecting-sexual-performance/281553/4 "2004-12-25T03:35:09Z")
Yes, the “enhanced vision” is referred to as “beer goggles” in this part of the world.
Personal experience suggests that the erection/no climax thing is common.
---
### Author:  [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)
#### Post date: [December 25, 2004, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcohol-affecting-sexual-performance/281553/5 "2004-12-25T04:08:44Z")
Indeed. Here’s another sometime sufferer of the dread “whiskey dick”.
(which is all the more unfortunate, because I finally convinced a certain young woman to do things to me last New Year’s Eve, but apparently I couldn’t pull the trigger) :mad:
---
### Author:  [@legion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/legion)
#### Post date: [December 25, 2004, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcohol-affecting-sexual-performance/281553/6 "2004-12-25T04:08:57Z")
> [@1920s Style "Death Ray"](#):
>
> Personal experience suggests that the erection/no climax thing is common.
Is it common for ones wife to encourage excessive drinking in her spouse so as to take advantage of the resultant premanent erection/no climax condition of said spouse?
---
### Author:  [@Mr.Slant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Slant)
#### Post date: [December 25, 2004, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcohol-affecting-sexual-performance/281553/7 "2004-12-25T04:58:49Z")
Well, for me it never really mattered to begin with.
Oh. Wait. I thought your topic was “Alcohol affecting sexual preference”
Dangit. My bad.
I never go past 2 drinks, and I’ve never had that problem.
---
### Author:  [@Trailer\_Park\_Casanova](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trailer_Park_Casanova)
#### Post date: [December 25, 2004, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcohol-affecting-sexual-performance/281553/8 "2004-12-25T05:33:25Z")
When I was overseas in the service it was also known as: “What Wrong You!” dick.
---
### Author:  [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)
#### Post date: [December 25, 2004, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcohol-affecting-sexual-performance/281553/9 "2004-12-25T06:00:25Z")
As usual, old Will summarised the phenomenon neatly, in the [Scottish Play](http://www-tech.mit.edu/Shakespeare/macbeth/macbeth.2.3.html):
> [@](#):
>
> **MACDUFF**
> Was it so late, friend, ere you went to bed,
> That you do lie so late?
>
> **Porter**
> 'Faith sir, we were carousing till the second cock: and drink, sir, is a great
> provoker of three things.
>
> **MACDUFF**
> What three things does drink especially provoke?
>
> **Porter**
>
> Marry, sir, nose-painting, sleep, and urine. Lechery, sir, it provokes, and unprovokes; it provokes the desire, but it takes away the performance: therefore, much drink may be said to be an equivocator with lechery: it makes him, and it mars him; it sets him on, and it takes him off; it persuades him, and disheartens him; makes him stand to, and not stand to; in conclusion, equivocates him in a sleep, and, giving him the lie, leaves him.
---
### Author:  [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)
#### Post date: [December 25, 2004, 10:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcohol-affecting-sexual-performance/281553/10 "2004-12-25T10:33:12Z")
> [@legion](#):
>
> Is it common for ones wife to encourage excessive drinking in her spouse so as to take advantage of the resultant premanent erection/no climax condition of said spouse?
No kidding. I’d think most women would be thrilled by this condition. Anecdotal evidence from personal experience suggests this can work in your favor by giving the impression that you have superhero lasting powers.
As for a factual explanation my WAG is that alcohol has a numbing effect on the body. Lower sensitivity on the parts in question equates to an ability to do your thing longer.
Sort of a mixed blessing but again experience suggests that eventually you will get yours too so no worries. If for some reason that is not managed don’t sweat it as it is thankfully only a temporary condition and hopefully you will be invited back for an encore performance in the near future.
---
### Author:  [@ParentalAdvisory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParentalAdvisory)
#### Post date: [December 25, 2004, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcohol-affecting-sexual-performance/281553/11 "2004-12-25T14:00:27Z")
> [@Trailer Park Casanova](#):
>
> When I was overseas in the service it was also known as: “What Wrong You!” dick.
:eek:
---
### Author:  [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)
#### Post date: [December 25, 2004, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcohol-affecting-sexual-performance/281553/12 "2004-12-25T16:06:51Z")
> [@Northern Piper](#):
>
> As usual, old Will summarised the phenomenon neatly, in the [Scottish Play](http://www-tech.mit.edu/Shakespeare/macbeth/macbeth.2.3.html):
[Blackadder] " . . . that would be . . . _Macbeth?_" [/Blackadder]
---
### Author:  [@Huerta88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Huerta88)
#### Post date: [December 25, 2004, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcohol-affecting-sexual-performance/281553/13 "2004-12-25T16:13:16Z")
> [@legion](#):
>
> Is it common for ones wife to encourage excessive drinking in her spouse so as to take advantage of the resultant premanent erection/no climax condition of said spouse?
No, because it’s a short step from that to no performance at all.
Excessive drinking in my experience is **not** encouraged and is most likely to elicit: “Go to sleep, you drunkard.” Every now and then you strike the perfect balance (i.e., she doesn’t realize quite how loaded you are, and you do come across as some sort of Superman, and everything finally works out for all concerned). But it’s the most delicate of balances.
---
### Author:  [@AngelicGemma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AngelicGemma)
#### Post date: [December 25, 2004, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcohol-affecting-sexual-performance/281553/14 "2004-12-25T22:24:05Z")
> [@legion](#):
>
> Yet when I am drunk, I can always get an erection but often I cannot climax. Is this unusual?
I don’t think it’s too unusual. My boyfriend is the same.
---
### Author:  [@Charlie\_Tan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Tan)
#### Post date: [December 25, 2004, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcohol-affecting-sexual-performance/281553/15 "2004-12-25T23:16:31Z")
Well alcohol tends to enhance emotions, so getting horny is no problem.
But it’s also an anaesthetic, meaning that your glans is not as sensitive. If … ahem … the lady is very moist, then the effect will be like …(\*) well, lets just say the amount of friction being low in combination with an erect, but comatose penis, is not a way to climax easily.
\*several four letter words omitted
---
### Author:  [@Incubus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Incubus)
#### Post date: [December 26, 2004, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcohol-affecting-sexual-performance/281553/16 "2004-12-26T03:45:57Z")
Just personal experience, alcohol has a positive effect on my libido, but a negative effect on all sensory input. _everything_ gets numbed, pain, pleasure, the whole enchilada. Also, since I lose the ability to visually focus (its like putting your eveballs in ‘neutral’ gear and just letting them focus on whatever) and get slight vertigo, it doesn’t do much to enhance the experience.