4 ways quitting smoking will lead to better sex

Long gone are the days when puffing on a cigarette oozed the coolness and glamour made famous by cultural icons like James Dean and Audrey Hepburn. Stained teeth, bad breath, the ashy stench that gives passers-by a whiff of your bad habit, are problems they seemed immune to. And they certainly wouldn’t have had problems in the bedroom…

…or so we think.

In recent years, studies drawing links between smoking and its effect on sexual health – particularly for men – have surged. A quick internet search on the topic and you’ll soon be thrown a list of stress-inducing results: erectile dysfunction, loss of libido, slower arousal, suboptimal performance in the bedroom…need I continue?

If the risk of contracting cancer was yesterday’s news and those stomach churning graphics on tobacco packaging weren’t enough to wean you off a puff, here’s a quick round-up of how putting that lighter out for good could fire up your sex life.

1. Quicker arousal

It’s not you, it’s him. Studies have linked smoking in men to decreased sexual arousal, appetite and satisfaction in the bedroom – with one report suggesting that non-smoking men had sex nearly twice as often as their smoking counterparts. If the prospect of more sex and greater satisfaction for both you and your partner hasn’t stopped you from reaching for another one, read on, my friend.

2. Firmer, faster erections

Research suggests that men who stop smoking could experience firmer, faster erections. The nicotine found in cigarettes causes blood vessels to contract, restricting blood flow required by our little (or big) friend to get and/or maintain an erection. So, gents, if you want to keep it up, put that cigarette down. Way down.

3. Increased sexual performance

Ever felt a sudden lull in sexual desire after a smoke? Well, it might also be affecting your performance in the bedroom. Smoking reduces the body’s ability to carry oxygen, an element responsible for producing 90 per cent – yes! 90 per cent – of our energy. It also wreaks havoc on the airways, lungs and predisposes to heart disease.

Continue to smoke and you could experience an increasing loss of stamina and shortness of breath. Quit smoking and you might just be able to give that 2000 pocket sprung mattress the bounce it deserves.

4. Higher satisfaction for you and your partner

According to a report published in the International Journal of Impotence Research, a decrease in libido, combined with a fallen ability to get aroused, could give rise to sub-optimal sexual performance – leaving both you and your partner as satisfied as rhino without mud. When it comes to sex, it really does take two to tango.

Now then, are you ready to ‘Netflix and Chill?’