Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), commonly known as ecstasy, alters women’s experience of sex by reducing social inhibitions, enhancing sensory perceptions, and heightening feelings of empathy, according to a published study.
The study, which was led by Kristine E.P. Kennedy of Hunter College in New York, found that women under the influence of ecstasy engaged in behaviors they would not have otherwise engaged in, but were no more or less likely to engage in “sexually risky” behaviors, such as unprotected sex.
“Intimacy and heightened sense allowed relationships to develop differently than they otherwise would and also lowered inhibitions, which permitted women to engage in what they considered novel or experimental behavior,” Kennedy and her colleagues explain in their study. “It cannot be said that ecstasy made participants engage in random sex acts, as this statement oversimplifies the interaction between the user, the drug and the context.”
The study interviewed 41 heterosexual women between the ages of 18 and 29 who had a sexual experience while under the influence of ecstasy. It was part of a larger study, the Club Drugs and Health Project, which recruited 400 men and women from clubs, bars, and lounges in New York City.
Participants in the study reported that achieving orgasm under the influence of ecstasy was more difficult than normal and that their perception of sexual stimuli was altered. A few participants reported that their orgasms were more intense than normal.
Other participants noted that they did not feel any sexual arousal under the influence of ecstasy, but did experience an increase in “sensuality.”
“Women repeated the sentiment that ecstasy made them feel sensual rather than sexual,” Kennedy and her colleagues write. “For these women, the initiation of sexual activity was compelled by the enjoyment of intimacy and touch, not because of sexual arousal.”
“It was very sensual,” one participant said. “But the sex itself wasn’t really that great for me… it was more about just being with a person and being close to the person.”
Other studies have found that ecstasy produces greater effects on women than men.
“There may be physiological and biochemical gender differences associated with ecstasy, as women report stronger physical effects than men,” Kennedy and her colleagues explain. “Women generally dose at the same rate as men, yet have smaller bodies and different physiology, and this may account for gender differences both in use and its effects.”
The study was published in volume 22 of the International Journal of Sexual Health in 2010.