Abstract

This article presents the impact of drugs, alcohol and pornographic movies on the sexual performance of Young Lebanese students. We hypothesized that porn movies, psychoactive substances and alcohol, known as having aphrodisiac effects on human, could have diverse or reverse effects on sexual functions and quality of loving relationships. The method used was a questionnaire answered by a total of 706 young Lebanese university students, 446 females and 260 males, aged between 18 and 25 years old. The study intended to examine the differences between “In belief” and “In practice” answers and among males and females. The results showed high percentage of the usage of ecstasy and marijuana, while the Lebanese youth did not experiment its effect on their sexual performance. Moreover, having an energy drink mixed with alcohol was not intended to have a better sexual performance, but in practice the answers were lessen, which could demonstrate that their expectations or beliefs toward the effect of energy drink on their sexual performance could have had better results. Likewise, most of the population of Lebanese females did not experience having sex after drinking an energy drink mixed with alcohol. The same could be stated for males that could indicate that they did not experience it, or they are not sure if the effects improve their sexual performance. Lebanese youth had a preconceived idea of the effect of pornographic films on raising desire and sexual performance; but the results expressed that many of the students did not try the effects of pornographic films on the sexual performance; it was similar for males that could indicate that they did not experience it or they were not positive if its effects improved their sexual performance. The females believe that pornographic movies influence the sexual performance however they do not know if pornographic films are an enhancer of the sexual relationship and the desire accompanying it as they might not have experienced it. An important strength of the study was the ability to find that females are more reluctant on expressing their experiences of the usage of drugs, alcohol and pornographic movies on their sexual performance.

This study demonstrated some limits if we acknowledge the young age of the population as they are students and the patriarchal structure of the Lebanese society that is still existing in Lebanon, and the sense of unequaled powers between males and females. The reservation observed through the answers might be associated with the lack of information or the inability to unveil their sexual activities and desire. The utmost population was demographically concentrated in rural areas, 44.3%, in Mount Lebanon, 25.3%, South of Lebanon and only 19.6% in Beirut, and the rest between North Lebanon and the Bekaa area. Noting that the female population of our sample is 62.9% while the male population is 36.7%, which lead us to conclude that the female coming from rural areas, and from conservative society either fear social sanctions disclosing premarital sex as they are agreeing on abstinence before marriage within their society due the prevalence of religious and social norms.

Keywords:Young Lebanese adolescents; University students; Sexual performance; Impact of alcohol and drugs; Pornographic movies; Perception