Quit Smoking to Boost Your Sex Life

Read about the author Samantha Evans

The number of smokers in England has fallen to its lowest level, with just one in five adults now lighting up following the wide spread use of e-cigarettes, nicotine patches and gum helped many smokers to quit.

In 2019, the proportion of current smokers in the UK was 14.1%, which equates to around 6.9 million in the population which represents a significant reduction in the proportion of current smokers since 2018, when 14.7% smoked. However 25–34 year olds still have the highest smoking rate, with approximately 1 in 5 people within this age range (around 1.4 million adults) being smokers.

So how do we encourage people to quit?

How about boosting their sex life?

Smoking can affect your sexual performance in men by restricting blood flow to the penis, leading to erectile dysfunction. This occurs because smoking damages blood vessels by increasing the build-up of plaque in the arteries which hinders the blood flow, creating an array of circulatory problems throughout the body, including the penis.

In a 2003 study, researchers examined data on 4,764 Chinese men with an average age of 47. They completed a health survey that included information about smoking history and quality of sex life. The researchers found that:

Men who smoked more than 20 cigarettes daily had a 60% higher risk of erectile dysfunction, compared to men who never smoked.

15% of the past and present smokers had experienced erectile dysfunction.

Men who currently – and formerly- smoked were about 30% more likely to suffer from impotence.

Among men who had never smoked, 12% had erection problems.

Another study by Harte.C and Meston.C (2011) in the British Journal of Urology International looked at the association between smoking cessation and sexual health in men and found that it’s not just smoking that causes erectile problems, but the effects of nicotine on sexual function.

The study found that the men who successfully quit smoking enjoy thicker, more rigid erections and became more aroused five times quicker than the men who relapsed.

Nicotine can cause erectile dysfunction as it is a vasoconstrictor, which narrows the blood vessels, thus reducing blood flow.

Very few studies have looked at the effects of smoking on female sexual arousal but the effect of nicotine on women are probably similar to men who smoke as the female genitalia also swell up with blood during sexual arousal, just like penises.

If nicotine can restrict blood flow and cause erectile dysfunction in men, it may be reasonable to suggest the same is true for women, affecting arousal, sexual sensation and ability to orgasm.

Recent research has found that sexual performance problems are far more prevalent among men under 40 years than previously thought as a result of stress. When you feel stressed, you may smoke more, thus affecting your sexual performance further as it impacts upon cardiac function, impeding blood flow to your penis.

Too Tired for Sex

Smoking can decrease your energy levels, leaving you too tired for sex. Cigarette smoke contains carbon monoxide, which sticks to haemoglobin – the pigment in the red blood cells that carries oxygen. Raised levels of carbon monoxide in the blood as a result of smoking affects the body’s ability to carry oxygen. Even after only 72 hours of stopping smoking you should notice an improvement in your energy levels.

Less Stamina

Smokers often experience shortness of breath due to cigarette tar damaging the airways and lungs which can impact on your ability to keep going during sex. Heavy breathing may be considered sexy over the phone but when accompanied by a hacking cough during sex, it is a complete turn off.

Quitting will improve your breathing with with an improvement in lung capacity of up to 10% within nine months, giving you more energy and stamina to last longer during sex.

Low Libido

Smoking negatively impacts upon testosterone levels in both males and females, the hormone responsible for maintaining libido. Intially, testosterone levels in the body rise up temporarily when you inhale your first cigarette but, it doesn’t last long, and decreases after some time. Cigarette smoking increases carbon monoxide levels in the body ultimately leading to inhibited production of testosterone, bringing down libido.

Impact upon Fertility

If you are trying to conceive, giving up smoking is the first thing you should do. Studies have shown that nicotine affect egg maturation, ovulation rates and fertilisation rates, in addition to chromosomal abnormalities. However, research shows that female smokers can boost their chances of conceiving by quitting at least two months before trying to get pregnant.

Women who smoke have a higher risk of miscarriage too.

Smoking also affects sperm quality and motility, which can make conceiving take longer and lead to birth abnormalities too.

The impact of secondhand smoke should not be underestimated so encourage your partner to quit to improve both your health.

Increased risk of early menopause

A report, involving 79,000 women, published in Tabocco Control (2015) showed those who smoked from the age of 15 went through the menopause, on average, 21 months earlier than women who did not smoke. The women who said they smoked heavily (more than 25 cigarettes a day) were likely to have faced the menopause 18 months earlier than non-smokers. Even those women who had experienced years of passive smoking went through the menopause earlier than those women not exposed to passive smoke.

More Vaginal Infections

The chemicals in cigarettes find their way into yuor vagina altering your natural pH and impacting upon your friendly bacteria that protect our vagina health and prevent infections including thrush and bacterial vaginosis. Smoking can also cause vaginal dryness too.

Smoking affects your sex appeal

A survey of 1500 men and women by watchmywallet.com in 2012 found that 57% of men found women unattractive if they smoked, but surprisingly only 22% of women found men unattractive if they were a smoker.

When trying to attract a mate, smoking impacts upon your oral health, giving you smelly breath which is unpleasant when you kiss! Revealing those yellow stains on your teeth are not going to increase your chances of attracting a new partner when you start chatting them up either!

Cigarette smoke clings to your hair and clothing leaving a stale odour which is not very attractive.

Smoking can accelerate the skin ageing process in the skin, causing your face to droop, develop wrinkles and lines and become dry and coarse with uneven skin colouring and broken blood vessels. People who smoke often develop a grey or orange complexion and can appear gaunt.

Many studies have shown that smoking results in more premature facial wrinkling than sun exposure. By the age of 70 years, smoking 30 cigarettes a day could lead to the equivalent of an extra 14 years of skin ageing!

Switching to E-cigarettes

Many people switch to E-cigarettes as a way of cutting down on smoking and consider it a healthier option. However, new research from University College London (2017) has found that some of the flavourings can reduce sperm motility and even damage testes cells, inparticular cinnamon and bubblegum flavourings.

So, if you need a reason to quit smoking, look no further than increasing your sex appeal and sexual performance. Giving up will not only improve your overall health by decreasing your risk of cancer and heart disease and save you money, but will also boost your sex appeal and add a spark to your sex life!

Useful Websites

Allen Carr’s Easyway : www.allencarr.com
NHS : Smoking Cessation- speak to your GP.