Qat increases sex drive but inhibits sexual performances [Archives:2008/1128/Health]
February 11 2008
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Nearly all Yemenis believe that qat has an affect on their sexual relations, and many believe that qat increases their sexual prowess. Because of this, many husbands and wives chew qat together, in order to have more fulfilling sexual intercourse.
However, this long-held belief was found to be untrue according to a recent United Nations Development Program(UNDP) report on the use of qat in Yemen. While qat may stimulate a man's sex drive, it actually decreases his ability to perform, since chewing qat frequently leads to premature ejaculation, according to the report.
A woman's sexual appetite also increases when she chews qat. The predicament begins when a qat-chewing woman's increased desire combines with a qat-chewing man's premature ejaculation. This creates problems in the bedroom: an embarrassed husband and an unfulfilled wife.
Many people, like Hani Al-Hrazi and his two wives, chew qat together because they believe that their sexual experience is heightened during and after chewing.
“My wife and I usually chew qat together. I firmly believe that after chewing we both become better in bed,” said Al-Hrazi. “I noticed that when women chew qat, they become uncontrollably excited [sexually]. It works with my two wives all the time.”
Al-Hrazi also noted that his wives' sex drives decrease and that his experience is less fulfilling when they do not chew qat.
“Before having sex with my wife I must chew qat. I feel that my prowess increases doubly,” said Abud Al-Jalil Al-Dhalei, a married man. “I cannot be perfect in bed without it.”
Though Yemenis disagree that qat makes them sexually weaker, Al-Dhalei admitted that when he chews, he becomes tired after the first round of sex and ejaculates quickly.
Qat Increases Sexual Arousal While Decreasing Sexual Ability
Chewing qat causes blood flow to the penis to increase, and because of this, men may ejaculate prematurely, explained Dr. Erfan Al-Shammari, a specialist in vascular diseases at Sana'a's Babylon Specialized Hospital.
According to Al-Shammari, the other sexual problem chewing qat causes is increased pressure the prostate gland during long hours spent sitting. When men sit for long stretches of time during a qat chew, this pressure makes the prostate gland swell. This pressure in the prostate makes men ejaculate prematurely.
The prostate gland supplies the fluid into which the testicles add the sperm during a man's ejaculation. So if a man's prostate is excited in any way, as in the case of increased blood flow, the prostate may ejaculate fluids quickly, triggering the testicles to ejaculate the sperm, which causes premature ejaculation, explained Al-Shammari.
“The main secret behind this is that there is a rise in both male and female blood circulation, but women take longer to achieve orgasm than men,” said Al-Shammari.
Qat Stimulates Desire In The Short-Term But Stifles It Over Time
Some people say that the side effects depend on the quality of the qat, and not all kinds of qat have the same effect. Qat chewers note that there is a qat for sex, a qat for studying, a qat to help you to stay awake, etc.
However, Al-Shammari said that many studies on qat showed that all types of qat have the same negative consequences for the body. In addition, sexual desire was shown to decrease whether the quality of qat was good or bad.
“I never chew qat when my wife is with me. I just chew whenever she goes to the village to visit her family, because I feel that I cannot be good in bed because of qat,” said Ali Al-Mazana'i. “I become tired and I don't have desire, unlike when I'm not chewing qat.”
As qat chewing continues, some areas of the brain become lethargic, leading to loss of motor skills and problems with speech and vision. When more Qat is chewed, the respiratory and cardiac centers in the brain's medulla are affected, which could eventually render a chewer comatose.
Though qat initially relieves anxiety, removing a sense of guilt and justifying personal failures, the user becomes indifferent to the needs of others. The chewer's attitudes change, their patterns of thought become confused and their behavior becomes stubborn. Said Dr. Ali Al-Mudhwahi, director of Family Health in the Ministry of Health and Population.
According to Dr. Mohamed Al-Kamel at the Ain-Shams Faculty of Medicine in Cairo, Egypt, tests performed on laboratory animals suggest that low doses of the chemicals found in qat do indeed increase male sex drive, though men who use qat in high doses or for long periods may experience infertility or loss of interest in having sex.
In human and animal studies, qat use has been shown to decrease sperm count, as well as hamper the sperm's ability to function. Additionally, defective sperm and decreased levels of testosterone have been documented in some men who use qat regularly.
The Psychological and Social Ills Caused By Qat
“Almost all the couples in the rural areas chew qat,” said Dr. Ali Al-Mudhwahi. In major cities like Sana'a, qat chewing couples are common, as is qat chewing among women. Qat is often distributed at women's gatherings and wedding parties, Al-Mudhwahi added
“In the past it was degrading for a girl or a woman to chew qat, but nowadays it has become a social custom,” said Al-Mudhwahi.
Because of widespread qat use, social problems between family members are happening more habitually, said Al-Mudhwahi.
There are also psychological side effects for both men and women qat chewers, according to Al-Shammari. Qat chewing can cause moodiness or depression, which has a direct effect on sexual relations. If one partner is depressed from chewing, the couple might be slower to have intercourse and quicker to fight, he said.
Disrupted family life, violence, arguments and fights happen when men sit with their friends for hours and chew qat while neglecting their relationship with their wives. Women left alone sometimes go out and chews with her friends in gatherings and get-togethers, thereby leaving the children on their own and fracturing family life.
The chemicals in qat can cause mental problems such as delusions of grandeur, insomnia, loss of appetite or weight. Qat is also the root cause of many cases of divorce, child abuse and physical injury. Pregnant women who chew qat cause congenital abnormalities to their unborn child in the womb, Al-Kamel says.
Qat contains chemicals in it like amphetamine, tannins and ascorbic acid, amino acids, minerals and vitamins, especially vitamin C. Too much vitamin C can cause nausea, fever, severe back pain and jaundice.
Chewing qat is bad for teeth and can cause lacerations in the mouth and oral ulcers. Qat is famously accompanied by sweet carbonated beverages and cigarettes, which are obviously bad for health, and add to the financial burden of daily use.
Al-Kamel added that qat isn't just a family problem; it has a severe negative impact on Yemen's national health as well. Qat users have breathing difficulties, high blood pressure, increased heart rate and stomach irritation. If the qat was treated chemically, it can lead to chemical hepatitis.
Continued use of qat over long periods produces diseases in virtually every organ of the body, such as the liver, heart, brain, pancreas and reproductive organs.
The high only lasts as long as the qat is stored in the cheek. Difficulty sleeping, loss of appetite, depression and diminished sex drive are some of the withdrawal symptoms that people feel after chewing qat. These side effects usually go away within a few hours, but the physical, psychological and social problems caused by qat chewing are real and permanent.
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