What is chemsex?

Downers make you feel calm and relaxed. They can make you feel peaceful and happy. They can also sometimes make you less afraid of things. Your heart rate slows down and your breathing becomes calmer.

These drugs are downers:

• Alcohol
• Heroin
• GHB
• GBL
• Cannabis
• Ketamine

Advantages of having sex whilst on downers

• You feel less inhibited
• Sometimes you get more in the mood for sex

Disadvantages of having sex whilst on downers

• You or your client may not be able to achieve an erection whilst on these drugs. A condom may then slip off more easily or break
• Sometimes you or your client may find it harder to reach orgasm. This is especially true if you use these drugs heavily or frequently. Your client may then become aggressive
• Have you taken too many downers? Then you might ‘pass out’. This is when you lose consciousness or fall into a deep sleep. You won’t be aware of what’s happening around you, or to you. In severe cases, you might even stop breathing. In that case, you’ll need medical assistance

Uppers give you energy and make you feel happy. They also make you feel more alert. Your heart rate increases and you breathe more quickly. Your body temperature and blood pressure rise. When on uppers, you often don’t feel like sleeping, eating or drinking.

These drugs are uppers:

• Ecstasy / XTC
• MDMA
• Speed
• Cocaine
• Crystal meth / Tina

Advantages of having sex whilst on uppers

• You have more energy
• You often feel more in the mood for sex, cuddling and chatting

Disadvantages of having sex whilst on uppers

• You or your client may not be able to achieve an erection whilst on these drugs. A condom may then slip off more easily or break
• Sometimes you or your client may find it harder to reach orgasm, especially if you use these drugs heavily or frequently. Your client may then become aggressive
• Have you used uppers? If so, it’s often difficult to fall asleep. This can last for a few nights

Poppers are a clear liquid. It comes in small bottles. You sniff the poppers by holding your nose over the bottle. This allows you to inhale the poppers. You don’t actually touch the liquid in the bottle. You will feel the effects within a few seconds. The high lasts 3 to 5 minutes.

What is sex like with poppers?

Poppers make you feel more aroused. And your anus relaxes. This makes it easier for a penis or dildo to enter your anus. If you take poppers just before you reach orgasm, you’ll have a more intense climax.

Poppers can make it harder for a penis to become fully erect. This can help you delay ejaculation.

Advantages of sex with poppers

• It gives a brief high
• You experience sex more intensely
• You feel more in the mood for sex
• It relaxes your muscles, including your anus

Disadvantages of sex with poppers

• Poppers can cause dizziness, headaches or nausea
• Poppers can be dangerous for people with cardiovascular problems
• You may find that you no longer enjoy sex without poppers
• If the liquid comes into contact with your skin, you could suffer burns. So be careful not to spill the poppers
• Warning! Do not use poppers together with Viagra or Kamagra. This is dangerous; it could cause you to lose consciousness. It can also cause internal damage to your body

Psychedelics are drugs that make you see, hear or feel the world differently than when you haven’t taken any drugs. Your sense of time and space may change. This sort of experience is called a ‘trip’.

These drugs are psychedelics:

• Magic mushrooms
• LSD
• 2C-B
• 2C-E
• Mescaline
• Ayahuasca
• DMT
• 5-MeO-DiPT

What is sex like on psychedelics?

These drugs alter how you feel, hear and see the people and things around you. Sex also feels different to when you’re not on drugs. Some people really enjoy sex on psychedelics. They experience the sex and the connection much more intensely. But that’s not always the case. How these drugs make you feel varies from person to person, and from one experience to another.

It is best not to take different types of drugs at the same time. You will feel the effects of the drugs all mixed together. It puts more strain on your body. Sometimes, taking different drugs at the same time can be dangerous.

Do you still want to combine drugs? And have you never done this before, or only done it a few times? Bear the following in mind:

• Use them in a safe environment, preferably with people you know
• Only take substances you’re familiar with
• Start with a small amount
• Wait until you feel the effects of the first drug before taking the second one

Do you want to know which drugs are dangerous to take at the same time? You can do so on this website from drugsinfo.nl (Dutch only).\

Read more about using drugs safely during work here.

It is important to know before combining drugs what this can do to you.

Get information about using drugs from an organization like Jellinek or Drugsinfoteam (Dutch only). They provide information and advice about drugs and using them. On the Drugsinfo website (Dutch only), you can look up which drugs are safe to combine.

Everyone can react differently to drugs. So you might feel differently to someone who has taken the same drugs.

There are various websites where you can find information and get advice about sex and drugs:

• Chemsex.nl
• sense.info (for youth)
• mantotman.nl (for men who have sex with men)