Dr Justus Apffelstaedt: Wine and sex

It is the month of “love” and what could be more appropriate than to remember Salt-N-Pepa, the first successful female rap act and their 1990 hit single “Let’s talk about sex” which many readers will still remember and talk about wine and sex. Obviously, I here talk in strictly scientific terms in my examination of the relationship of wine consumption and sexual function.

There is a distinct paucity of data; after all, it is kind of difficult to invite a group of random strangers to a lab, administer a defined dosage of quality wine and then observe their sexual behaviors and functioning. With the taboo placed by the WHO on anything positive alcohol-related to be reported (see my last column) research is rather difficult to finance and then also to get published, all the more if it is on as delicate a subject as on the present one.

A search of the largest medical publication database, MedLine, however, yielded a couple of papers which looked at this subject in some detail. Mondaini at al in 2009 reported on 798 healthy women in Tuscany; a standard Female Sexual Function Index questionnaire was administered; in addition, daily quantity and type of alcoholic beverage consumption were recorded. The participants were grouped as teetotalers, moderate consumers of red wine (1 – 2 glasses of red wine daily) and lastly, consumers of 3 or more glasses of red wine daily and/or other alcoholic beverages.

Of the three groups, moderate users of red wine had the highest sexual function index; notably desire and lubrication were better than in the other groups. Two other similar studies, one from the USA by Kling et al on a population presenting at a women’s health clinic, published in 2019 and by Lonee-Hoffmann et al in 2014 on an Australian population of elderly women confirmed these results with the last two studies not differentiating between types of alcoholic beverages. All three studies confirmed that heavy or hazardous (such as binge) drinking is bad for female sexual functioning.

But how about males? There are even less data in males than in females, but considerable experimental laboratory evidence suggests, that particularly moderate red wine consumption increases testosterone levels and fertility (Basile et al, 2023) predicting a more fulfilling male sexual life. At the same time, the anti-oxidants in wine reduce or prevent atherosclerosis. A good vascular supply is essential for erectile function; moderate wine consumption therefore may preserve healthy erectile function longer in life. In common with women, hazardous or heavy drinking reduces sexual function and satisfaction.

While scientific data in humans are limited, it is apt to revert to one of the most acute observers of human behavior, the great William Shakespeare, who in Macbeth lets Porter respond to Macduff on a question about the effects of drink: “…. Lechery, sir, it provokes and unprovokes: it provokes the desire, but it takes away the performance…”.  This is still true for both males and females. Here thus my advice to all those heading out for some Valentine’s Day activities: Instead of boring chocolates, share a bottle of good red wine and you may provoke the desire, but not yet take away the performance and end up much happier for it. Cheers to your good luck!

• Dr. Justus Apffelstaedt is a specialist in breast and thyroid health, leading Apffelstaedt & Associates in Cape Town and Windhoek. A surgeon with a specific interest in surgical oncology and researcher, he was Associate Professor of Surgery at Stellenbosch University (1994–2017) and Head of Surgical Oncology, managing 1,000-plus cancer cases annually. He has more than 50 publications, shaped South Africa’s breast cancer screening policy, and co-founded Breast Surgery International. A sought-after speaker, he has given over 100 international lectures. He also holds an MBA and a Diploma in Wine. Through Apffelstaedt & Associates, he continues to advance specialized, patient-centered care in Southern Africa.

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