Pharmacosex: Reimagining sex, drugs and enhancement
International Journal of Drug Policy November 24, 2020 Leah Moyle, Alex Dymock, Alexandra Aldridge et al. 42 citations
People who combine sex and drugs report a wide range of experiences beyond risk or pleasure, including enhanced emotional connection, bodily sensations, disinhibition, and desire, as well as therapeutic benefits that blur the line between hedonic and self-improvement motivations. Based on interviews with 45 participants of diverse gender and sexual identities and a virtual ethnography, the study introduces the concept of 'pharmacosex' to describe how drug use modifies and enhances sex lives across broader populations, not just among LGBTQ groups or men who have sex with men. Challenging biomedical views limited to stamina and libido, the findings show that drug-taking can also foster innovative risk-management and care practices, and that contemporary discourses of self-improvement increasingly shape sexuality.