Study Suggests Alcohol Leads To Kinkier Sex While Marijuana Makes Sex More Emotional

Sex while drunk is almost old hat nowadays, but there's an emerging substance-and-sex coupling that is closing in on alcohol's territory - marijuana. Getting high while having sex isn't a new concept, but it's gaining much more steam now that legalization and decriminalization of marijuana is spreading around the country. With that in mind, researchers are formulating and executing studies to find out what the differences are between these inebriated sexual states. Keep reading to find out the differences between being drunk and high while having sex.What do you think of the differences between marijuana and alcohol regarding sex? Let us know in the comments section below.

Mainstream. Marijuana is hitting the mainstream in 2016, and has been growing in legal popularity for quite some time. The public's attitude towards cannabis products has changed for the positive and the government is slowly joining in on the craze.

Acceptance. General acceptance is mounting when it comes to marijuana, so technically usage should be growing as well. So how will it affect our lives? More specifically, how will it affect our sex lives?

Research. Joseph Palamar and his New York University research colleagues asked this question, but also focused on how marijuana use in the bedroom differs from that of alcohol consumption. High sex vs drunk sex, you guys.

Examine. "Since the landscape is changing, and marijuana continues to increase in popularity, research is needed to continue to examine if and how marijuana use may influence risk for unsafe sexual behavior," Palamer writes in the July issued of the journal Archives of Sexual Behavior.

Study. The team of researchers interviewed a group of 24 heterosexual adults for this study. They discussed prior sexual experiences under the influence of marijuana and alcohol with these subjects.

Just the start. "The purpose was to obtain a rigorous qualitative assessment of the different effects of alcohol and marijuana on people's sexual behaviors and to use this as a jumping-off point for future quantitative research," according to The Washington Post.

Observations. Instead of calling them "results," the conclusions made from these interviews are simply "observations." Some of which might not surprise you, but they're getting this research off to a good start.

Regrets. "The most commonly reported feeling after sex on alcohol was regret," the study states. "Both males and females commonly reported that regret, shame, and embarrassment were associated with alcohol use, but this was rarely reported for marijuana."

Sick or distracted. "Nausea, dizziness, feeling sick (and vomiting), and blacking out were commonly reported to be associated with alcohol use," the study found. Meanwhile, while high, many found themselves distracted by something other than the sex they were having.

Sex is weird. "You're so high (on marijuana) … you start thinking sex is weird. 'What is sex?'" a female subject said.

Pleasure. When you're high, the pleasure of sex is usually stronger than usual, and much stronger than when you're drunk. Alcohol numbs the senses so pleasure is hindered.

Risky. "With regard to sexual risk behavior, the majority of participants felt that alcohol was riskier, sexually, than marijuana," Palamer said.

Beer goggles. "With weed I know who I’m waking up with. With drinking, you don’t know. Once you start drinking, everybody looks good," a 34-year-old female subject revealed.

Relationships. Another big difference is that marijuana use during sex was mainly discussed between those with strong bonds, like girlfriends and boyfriends. Alcohol use during sex is associated with strangers or someone new, according to the study.

You. What are your personal differences between sex with alcohol vs sex with marijuana? Let us know!

Making Time For Sex Is A Cause For Relationship Issues For Parents

When you become a parent, it's a wonderful thing. You created life through love. What could possibly be more pure and wonderful than that? Well, for all its purity and wonder, it also brings with it some major sex issues that you may not have been prepared for. You knew you'd be busy with a baby in the house, but did you ever really think it would take over ? With a baby in the house, sex may as well be a thing of the past — or at the very least, that's what it feels like. So if you're looking forward to having kids, you may want to pay attention. Keep reading to learn about all the sex issues only parents face.What's your secret to making room for sex as a parent? Let us know!

Time… When you physically don’t have enough time in the day, no mortal can simply conjure up some more for the sake of sex. It’s just not possible. So while you’re busy complaining that your man isn’t lasting long enough, just be happy that he at least gets the chance to not last long enough.

Exhaustion. By the time most parents even get the opportunity to have sex, it’s pretty much pointless. They don’t even have the energy to put in the effort anymore. They’ve spent so much the day running after the kids that any work done by choice is just stupid.

Lack of creativity. When you’ve got kids running around the house, sex needs to be sneaky. But you may come to a point, as a parent, where you just can’t come up with a creative location or way to actually get it on. Sure, it sucks. But you’re a loss. You’ve wasted all of your creativity on your kid.your partner are able to do the deed, a two-year-old starts jumping on the bed. Wonderful…

Cut-short naptime. You pat yourself on the back for how successful you are at getting your kids down for a nap. However, it’s out of your hands when your children decide to wake up from their naps before they typically wake. Now, you’re on the clock — no matter how horny you might’ve been.

Being in the mood. When you’re investing so much emotional energy into something, it doesn’t leave much left over. This is exactly what happens to parents when they’re trying to have sex. Sleep just sounds so much more enticing than sex ever could, sad though that may be.

Being together. Fun fact: if you’re not in the same room as your sexual partner, you won’t be able to have sex. Not obvious enough? When you’re running around like a crazy person, jumping between jobs and errands and feeding, etc., keeping up with each other is sometimes near-impossible.

Low expectations. Once you merely assume something won’t play out the way you want it to, your expectations take a major nosedive. You start to just figure that sex won’t happen now that you’re a parent, so you don’t even try anymore.

Weirded out. Seeing as your kids are always around, what happens if they walk in you having sex? You’ll scar them, right? These are the thoughts that go through your head as a parent, which only end up keeping you from actually having sex.

Routine sex. Since parents need to fit sex into a schedule and since they need to essentially practice speed-sex just to enjoy themselves, sex can start to feel a bit stale. It can feel routine. All of the spiciness that they once had is now absolutely out the window.

Aggressive, pent up horniness. When someone hasn’t had sex in a while, they’ll get turned on at the drop of the hat. So don’t be surprised if you see your mom friend giving eyes to the prince in “Frozen.” You may not understand, and that’s because you just had sex last night, you jerk.

Sexual frustration. When you’re horny, you want sex. But when you’ve been horny for too long, you want to fight. Parents have a sex drive that isn’t as satisfied as it should be, and as a result, it only puts them on edge, and you’ll need to walk on eggshells around them.

Fitting it in. Sex is the best when it’s spontaneous, when it seems to form out of nowhere. When it’s part of a schedule, it’s kind of lame, and having to fit it in should have more to do with fitting a penis into a vagina, not the act itself into a day’s schedule. The fun just gets stripped away.

Over it. It’s not uncommon for parents to just throw in the towel. It’s been so long since they last had sex, and to save the frustration, they just decide to give up. If it happens, it happens. But if there’s no certainty that it will, then to hell with hope.

You. What do you think of these issues? Let us know in the comments section below.

Things To Know About Having Sex During The Breastfeeding Stage

Being a new mom means that you are going to have to learn how to balance it all - career, babies, and of course, your sex life. While many people might warn you about sex after pregnancy taking a while, not many people actually give you the full details about what sex is like, what things you should know about, and how to handle it all. If this is your first pregnancy, don’t worry. We’ve got all the answers you want to the questions you’re afraid to ask - at least when it comes to having sex during the early breastfeeding stages of parenthood.

It’s Totally Normal To Not Have Sex, Even After The Six Week Window. Yes, we know, doctors tell you that you can bang after six weeks postpartum, but let’s be real, that doesn’t always happen. In fact, some new moms take at least six months before they even try to have sex with their partners again. Take your time if you need to - no one should expect you to try to rush into it. Also, if you have sex before the six weeks, don’t freak out. Just do what feels right and listen to your body.

You Will Squirt Milk At Your Man, And Sex Will Get Messy. Sorry, it’s true. There will be moments where, during a quickie, you might end up accidentally squirting some breastmilk in your man’s eye. You will also likely spot during sex. We suggest keeping a lactation bra on and placing a towel below you.

Breastfeeding Can Be Kinky. Some women actually really begin to fetishize breastfeeding their partners while they’re having sex. If you feel like you want to explore this side of sex, ask your partner. Most men are a lot less negative about breastfeeding sex than you’d think.

It’s 100% Okay To Swat Your Man Away From You During This Stage. We are not going to judge, we swear! Your breasts are likely sore from nursing. You are sore from being a new mom. You’re tired. And you know what? That means that you are 100%, completely and totally entitled to giving your boobs a break - no matter how much he whines.

Quickies Will Be Your Thing. Now that you have a screaming newborn, you will need to prioritize things such as sleep and making sure your kid doesn’t die. Quickies are how you will have any semblance of a sex life for the next year or so.

Your Vagina May Be A Bit Dryer During The Breastfeeding Stage. Remember those hormones we keep mentioning? Well, part of the problem with all the hormone fluctuations is that it can dry you out below the belt. This is easily remedied, though, because there’s this awesome thing called lube.

You May Be Loose Down There During This Time, But Don’t Sweat It. In the first 6 months of breastfeeding time, you are actually still healing down there. Depending on how much damage you were dealt during childbirth, it can take years for you to fully recover. But, that’s the cool thing about our bodies. Women do bounce back from childbirth - it just takes time to get back to that regular tightness.

And You’ll Learn To Accept Yourself. Everyone’s body changes, and this is just a fact of life. And then you’ll realize that, holy cow, you just created a tiny human and are actually keeping it from dying. And then you’ll embrace the awesome she-beast you are, in all her primal awesomeness.

But Some Women Feel Arousal During Breastfeeding, Too. To further confuse our minds, good ol’ Mother Nature has made sure that a portion of women get mildly aroused during breastfeeding. It most likely is because of the whole breast stimulation part of breastfeeding, but the sensation can vary from person to person.

Apparently, Some Women Even Have Sex While They Breastfeed. Uh, yeah. We’re not sure that’s okay, but that’s apparently a thing. One woman on Babble actually admitted, “The answer? You do what you have to do. I've nursed babies on airplanes, in airports, in countless parked cars, in restaurants, buses, trains and every sort of conveyance, while sitting, standing, walking, and lying down, and having sex (not all at the same time). And if you've breastfed, chances are you have, too, because the babies? They don't seem to care, not as long as there's a nipple involved. But what about that extra mile, those extra lengths some moms go to?”

Oh, And Your Man Will Probably Want To Breastfeed, Too. For reasons beyond our understanding, a lot of guys really get into the idea of trying out some milk from the mother of their children. Some even develop a fetish for it and try to keep it going after the actual breastfeeding period is done.

You Will Feel Gross. No lie, your body will change after a baby. And you will not like some of those changes. And, your baby may cover you in spit up and pee. And you will feel gross about having sex, because you simply will not be feeling how your body looks, feels, and smells. We’re sorry. This will pass.

That Being Said, Breastfeeding Can Be Used As A Form Of Contraception. Because it tends to elevate hormones that naturally prevent pregnancy, many women use breastfeeding as a form of birth control in the first six months. It’s called the Lactational Amenorrhoea Method, and it basically prevents you from having a period for six months. It’s considered to be 98% effective.

Breastfeeding Can Lower Your Libido. This is a side effect of all the hormones that are going crazy in your body right now. Many women, after they have given birth, can’t get in the mood at all. Simply put, their hormones get out of whack and things just aren’t exactly very hot. Breastfeeding doesn’t help it, either.

But, LAM Can Fail. The reason why LAM can fail is because missing one single feed off your schedule can negate it and make your hormones crash down to normal. If you can have your period, you can have kids. If you don’t know you can have your period, then it’s very possible to have unprotected sex and get pregnant again. And that’s how you get Irish twins!

The Scent Of Love: The Power Of Smell In Picking A Sexual Partner

Among things like how they look, their intelligence and their sense of humor, when it comes to dating, where do you rank how a potential partner, um, smells? Apparently, it should be at the top of your list. Over the years, research has confirmed the connection between scent and sexual attraction time and time again. The question is: ? Turns out, evolution is partly to blame. Curious? Read on below.

Follow your nose. When it comes to sexual attraction, the power of smell is, well, powerful. Beyond how a partner looks and communicates, how they smell might also be an indicator of how compatible you are as mates, as it turns out. In other words, there’s a big connection between scent and sexual attraction.

Studies. Science supports this theory, too. As CNN points out, in two larges studies led by Brown University olfactory expert Dr. Rachel Herz, ladies ranked a guy’s scent as the most important feature for ascertaining whether or not she would be into him in that way. In other words, how a dude smelled beat out how he looked. Girls aren’t so superficial after all, eh?

Genes. As CNN notes, scent may, in fact, be the main way in which females unconsciously sniff out genetic compatibility with a potential partner — quite literally, at that. Why does the body do this? Because how we smell is an external expression of the genes that make up our immune system, letting two people know how compatible — or not — they are with one another.

Fingerprint. Think of your scent like a (smelly...or rather fragrant.) fingerprint. Everyone has their own unique “odor print,” which is a part of a region of genes known as the major histocompatibility complex (MHC). And females prefer the scent of males whose MHCs are different from their own, CNN reports.

Opposites attract. This is where the saying “opposites attract” comes from. Okay, not really. Still, differences in immune systems are incredibly important when it comes to picking a mate. "This is one of Nature’s ways of ensuring that we produce the healthiest offspring,” CNN explains. "No wonder that a woman’s sense of smell is at its peak when she’s ovulating and most likely to get pregnant."

Emotions. Seemingly, your sense of smell can determine much more than you realize. Unlike the other senses, olfaction reaches the emotional region of the brain super fast. "It's also the most primitive of all the senses,” Gary Beauchamp, Ph.D., told Men’s Health. "The very early organisms used it to make approach-avoidance decisions.” In other words, smell helps with two important aspects of survival: finding mates and food. Now all you have to do is prioritize the two!

Primitive. The power of scent may very well lie in its primitiveness; it helps us survive while the higher parts of our brains take care of less tedious things. "Scent is something that is notoriously difficult to match with words, even though poets have tried,” pioneering smell researcher, Martha McClintock, Ph.D., told Men’s Health. "Pioneering smell researcher" sounds like an amazing job, right?

More research. In one study, a wide range of men were each asked to wear the same T-shirt for two days in a row, after which the shirts were placed into identical crates. A slew of women were then asked to sniff the tees and to indicate which they thought would have the hottest wearers, based on the scent. The results were interesting, to say the least.

Findings. The study’s results showed that ladies were most attached to guys with an MHC most dissimilar from their own. (Remember, opposites attract!) Shirts worn by men with similar MHC profiles tended to be rated as “fatherly” or “brotherly” — but not hot. What’s more, research produced by firm Strategy One found that 56 percent of women said they would never date someone who smells like their dad.

Geography. Meanwhile, Dr. Alan Hirsch, director of the Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation, led research on behalf of AXE body products to gauge women’s scent preferences in 10 difference cities across the United States. “In each city we tested, women reported different scent preferences,” he told CNN, “indicating that geography has a direct correlation to what scents women find attractive.” Who knew there were so many professions based around smell?

Regions. So, what scents did women find most preferable by region? In New York, it was coffee. Over in L.A., the ladies enjoyed the scent of lavender. The gals up in Chicago were super into vanilla, while the ladies down south in Houston were all about that barbeque. Chicks in Philadelphia dug the smell of clean laundry, and the babes way west in San Diego really, really loved the smell of suntan lotion/ocean.

Science. Of course, there’s a science to these preferences. As we mentioned earlier, our sense of smell can trigger powerful memories, especially from our childhoods. This is why many scents may still exert a strong hold on us years later. Just think about it: We bet you still remember the smell of the cologne your high school sweetheart wore, or the smell of Sunday morning in your childhood home.

Positive feelings. Overall, smelling something you like or are familiar with is, obviously, going to make you feel better — for the most part, at least. "“Research has shown that when women are in the presence of a preferred scent, they are more likely to project positive feelings on those around them, which can lead to increased attraction,” Hirsch told CNN.

Men. Conversely, when it comes to men, there is little evidence to suggest that smell plays as powerful a role in sexual attraction. Nonetheless, another study led by Hirsch found that the scents of lavender, pumpkin pie, donuts and black licorice (random, we know) increased blood flow to the penis by a whopping 40 percent. The research also found that the scent of feminism decreased blood flow by an unsurprising 100 percent. (Just kidding.)

Bottom line. The takeaway? Scent and scent communication play important roles in human sexuality. While his bodily odor might not whip you into a lustful frenzy, it may color your perception of him to a certain extent. As all things in life, evidence about whether or not scent 100 percent impacts partner choice is still mixed, so don’t get too wrapped up in how you or your partner smells, and whether or not it means you two are really meant to be.