There is no need to convince anyone that cigarettes have a harmful effect on the entire body. Most often they talk about their bad effect in the context of lung cancer or heart disease. Despite this, there are still many smokers, both among young and old people. The influence of tobacco on sex life is less frequently discussed, and it turns out that it has a negative impact on many aspects of it.
First, smoking cigarettes causes problems with reaching orgasm for both men and women. This is due to the lower blood supply to the genitals of both sexes. That is why smokers more often struggle with the difficulty of achieving and maintaining an erection.
Cigarettes affect many aspects of sexual intercourse:
- Erectile problems.
So (already mentioned) less satisfaction with sex. According to research, as many as 65% of smokers aged 30 to 50 complain of unsuccessful sex life and problems with erection. An erection arises as a result of sexual arousal, and the whole mechanism is based on the filling of the cavernous bodies in the penis with blood. Numerous studies have indicated the negative effect of smoking on erectile dysfunction. Smoking can lead to impotence, because despite normal sexual arousal, smokers are more likely to experience ejaculation disorders and problems with maintaining an erection.
The causes of impotence can be traced to the effect of nicotine on the human nervous system, which can cause blood vessel spasms, and thus – hindered blood supply to the penis. Erection problems are also associated with damage to the blood vessels by the toxic substances contained in nicotine.
Other causes may be damage to the valves of the veins that stop blood in the penis – substances contained in cigarettes damage the valve mechanism; as well as increasing the production of plasma protein which is responsible for the formation of blood clots in the small vessels of the penis.
- Decreased libido.
Scientists confirm that as many as 85% of people with reduced libido are smokers. This is the result of the toxins contained in cigarettes, which reduce the level of growth hormone and testosterone, which has a direct impact on the decrease in libido. That is why in situations where the patient complains of a reduced sex drive, doctors recommend quitting the addiction.
- Deterioration of semen quality.
According to the guidelines of the World Health Organization, the volume of semen in an average man should be at least 1,5 milliliters, and in smokers it reaches a maximum of 2 milliliters, while in non-smokers it is about 3,5 milliliters. This proves that addicts only minimally exceed the correct volume.
Studies conducted among long-term smokers also showed another problem – their semen also has a lower sperm count. In addition, the semen quality itself is significantly reduced in addicts: fewer viable, properly moving sperm have been found in men who smoke.