Psychedelics and sexual functioning: a mixed-methods study

Psychedelics and sexual functioning: a mixed-methods study tests whether psychedelics have post-acute effects on sexual functioning. Combining a large naturalistic dataset with a smaller controlled trial, the study finds that naturalistic psychedelic use is associated with improvements in multiple sexual-function domains such as pleasure and communication during sex, satisfaction with one’s partner, and satisfaction with physical appearance. In parallel, a controlled psilocybin therapy trial in depressed patients reports positive changes in sexual functioning after psilocybin treatment, while escitalopram-treated patients do not show similar improvements. The results suggest a potential beneficial effect of psychedelics on post-acute sexual functioning, and they motivate further research into psychedelic therapy as an alternative to SSRIs, which commonly contribute to sexual dysfunction.