Aphrodisiacs

From Encyclopedia of Sex and Sexuality

Any food, drink, drug, scent, or device believed to stimulate sexual interest and increase sexual vigor. For centuries, people have searched for substances that would heighten sexual arousal. Men especially have looked to aphrodisiacs to improve their sexual performance by strengthening their erections.

One of the earliest known potions—goat testicles boiled in milk—came from India. In China and Japan shark liver and powdered rhinoceros horn have been considered popular sexual stimulants for over one thousand years. Oysters, monkey glands, ginseng, and even peanuts have all been prescribed as aphrodisiacs. Perhaps the most legendary aphrodisiac is Spanish fly. It probably originated in Africa, but has been used all over the world. Spanish fly is actually a bright green beetle ground into a fine, dried powder. When consumed, it irritates the bladder and urethra and the resultant tingling is said to be sexually exciting. In fact, Spanish fly is very dangerous. Its continued consumption can be poisonous, leading to genito-urinary infection and urethral scarring. The most widely used aphrodisiac is alcohol. In fact, a mixed drink or a glass of wine or beer can have a pleasant, disinhibiting effect, creating a feeling of warmth and relaxing a person’s sexual anxieties. But too much drink makes it obvious that alcohol is actually a depressant. A woman may find her arousal waning and a man may find himself unable to achieve an erection.

Many illegal drugs, such as marijuana, amyl nitrates (poppers), cocaine, and “ecstasy” have been hailed by their supporters as sexual enhancers. But as with alcohol, misuse or overuse can have the opposite effect, destroying sexual ability. Amyl nitrates and cocaine have even caused death. There have also been many legal, over-the-counter aphrodisiacs available but none has ever been proved effective and many have, in fact, been proven unsafe.

The use of aphrodisiacs has survived for centuries because practically no one wants to see their sexual desire and capacity diminish. Whether or not they actually work, however, is not a simple matter. Certainly, if a person has a real physiologically-based problem, nothing—whether oysters, Vitamin E, ginseng, or rhinoceros horn—will work. At the same time, it has been said that the most important sex organ lies between the ears. A relaxed and confident state of mind plays a major role in sexual satisfaction.