While glamour and sophistication were the hallmarks of early cigarette advertising, and the world’s most charismatic actors and musicians helped popularise “smoking cool”, the evidence suggests that both your sex appeal and your sexual performance is significantly compromised as a smoker.
But what are the benefits of quitting smoking sexually? And how can kicking the habit help bring a little extra excitement into the bedroom? Here, we look at the many reasons stubbing out that last cigarette will improve your sex life.
1. Increased Libido
While some people smoke to relieve stress, research has shown that the habit actually increases feelings of anxiety and tension.1 This increase can have an impact on your sex life, with stress contributing to a reduced sex drive.2
Smoking has also been shown to affect both testosterone and oestrogen levels in men and women3, two hormones that play a large part in sexual desire.
But does quitting smoking increase libido?
The answer is that yes, it can. Quitting can actually reduce stress4 and help your hormone levels return to normal, positively impacting your sex drive. If you give up the habit then there’s a good chance that it will reignite your passion in the bedroom. And, if you’re wondering how long after quitting smoking until your libido does return, physical changes can start to happen within your body just 20 minutes after your last cigarette.
2. Better Circulation
One of the key benefits of quitting smoking sexually is that it increases blood circulation—and this means everywhere!
The nicotine found in cigarettes causes your blood vessels to contract, decreasing blood flow around your body.5 So, putting out that last cigarette can help return blood flow to normal and improve your circulation.
Quitting is a win-win for everyone involved, enhancing pleasurable sensations for both partners – for men, better circulation can improve erections, and for women, it may increase the intensity of your orgasm.6
3. Increased Stamina
You may be asking yourself, does quitting smoking make you last longer in bed? If you’re a smoker looking to improve your sexual stamina, quitting the habit might be the solution.
Smoking impacts your lung capacity, making it harder to breathe during periods of intense physical activity like exercise or sex.7 Quitting can help you recover lung capacity by up to 10% in the first nine months, making it easier to catch your breath and keep going during sex.4
Smoking also reduces the blood’s capacity to carry oxygen around the body, an important factor for maintaining our energy levels.5 Quitting will increase oxygen levels which can give you an energy boost and improve your sexual stamina.
Better circulation and improved lung capacity together are likely to increase your stamina in the bedroom—meaning the only breathless moments you experience will be the good ones!
4. Increased Sexual Appeal
Smoking can affect your appearance and skin, by quitting smoking you’ll see numerous improvements to your physical appearance. Strict smoking laws and regulations can also affect a relationship if your partner doesn’t smoke. Having to interrupt dates to have a cigarette can put a strain on your relationship and impact your sex life.
Quitting can reduce the impact smoking has on your appearance and your love life, leading to an increase in sexual appeal and satisfaction.
5. Firmer Erections
If you’re a smoker who suffers from erectile dysfunction (ED) and are wondering, “does smoking stop you from ejaculating during sex?”, there is in fact a lot of evidence linking the two.
ED is a condition that prevents a man from getting or keeping an erection during sex, affecting about 1 in 10 men in the UK. Since smoking reduces blood flow and circulation, it can increase the risk of erection problems by 50%, which can hugely impact your sex life.6
Quitting smoking can help reduce the likelihood of ED and even lead to firmer, more reliable erections by improving circulation.5 There is also less chance of premature ejaculation after quitting smoking.
So, if you want to improve your sexual performance, it might be time to make a change.
Quit Smoking and Improve Your Sex Life
Quitting smoking will improve your overall health and even enhance your sex life. Giving up the habit can lead to increased libido, better performance, and more enjoyable sex for both men and women.
If you’re already looking forward to the benefits of quitting smoking sexually, consult your local pharmacy for advice on how NRT products can help you stop for good. Alternatively, read more of our stop smoking advice to get the help you need to quit for good.
