It's no secret cocaine can have some unpleasant side effects. This highly addictive drug has been know to cause anxiety, depression, irritability and insomnia.
But did you know this popular party drug can also have some pretty nasty consequences when it comes to your sex life?
That's right. A study published in Psychopharmacology just revealed doing cocaine just once makes you more likely to catch STIs.
Apparently, the reason is cocaine tends to make people impulsive and more willing to engage in risky behaviors, such as having sex with a stranger sans condoms.
Researchers found cocaine causes users to become very impatient while high on the drug, and therefore, less willing to wait for a condom before getting it on with a new sexual partner.
According to Dr. Matthew Johnson, the lead author of the study,
Our study affirms and may help explain why people who regularly use cocaine are more willing to partake in risky sex. The bottom line is that cocaine appears to increase sexual desire... They become more impatient when it comes to waiting for sex. If a condom isn't available, cocaine makes people less willing to postpone sex to get a condom.
For the study, a group of participants were given a placebo, a 125 mg pill of cocaine, or a 250 mg pill of the drug.
As opposed to the short-lived high that results from snorting cocaine in powder form, consuming the stimulant in oral form extends the duration of euphoria and hyperactivity caused by the drug.
The researchers found the drug's side effects, including increased sexual desire, peaked approximately 45 minutes after participants consumed the cocaine pills.
Those who were given the larger 250 mg dose of the drug experienced stronger side effects than those who consumed the 125 mg pill.
Researchers had participants browse through 60 photographs featuring different people on a computer screen and asked them to choose the individuals they would be willing to have sex with.
After selecting potential sexual partners, the researchers also asked them to pick the person they thought would be least likely to have an STI.
The participants also rated how likely they were to use a condom and how long they would be willing to postpone sex if they didn't have a condom readily available.
The study revealed that 80 percent of participants were likely to use protection if it was immediately available to them.
However, those who consumed cocaine became increasingly willing to have unprotected sex as the time they had to wait in order to get a condom increased.
Cocaine users were also more likely to have unprotected sex with the individuals they labeled as "high-risk" for carrying STIs.
The study found that the group of cocaine users had a 40 percent chance of using protection, whereas the placebo group had a 70 percent chance.
However, the researchers also noted ingesting cocaine orally could alter the side effects of the drug.
But nonetheless, this study just provides yet another to stay away from street drugs.
Citations: Surprise, surprise: Scientists confirm cocaine users are less likely to have safe sex (because the drug makes them too impatient to find a condom) (MailOnline)
