Dear Mrs. Curious,

You are right to assume that smoking affects one's sex life. In fact, several recent studies have looked at exactly this question in regard to male impotence and found that there is a link between smoking and difficulties having an erection. Unfortunately, there is little research on the effects of smoking on women's sexual health; this is indicative of a general state of research on women's sexual health lagging far behind research on men. That is a whole issue unto itself. But the reason behind the strong link between smoking and male impotence can be presumed to affect women as well.

Nicotine is a vasoconstrictor, meaning it tightens blood vessels and restricts blood flow. In the long term, it has even been shown to cause permanent damage to arteries. Since a man's erection depends on blood flow, researchers assumed smoking would affect erections. Studies have confirmed this time and again. In one study published in 1986 in Addiction Behavior, it was shown that just two cigarettes could cause softer erections in male smokers. Results are corroborated by a definitive study published in June 2001 that looked at all studies done on impotent men over the last two decades. The research showed that 40 percent of men affected by impotence were smokers, as opposed to 28 percent of the general male population. That is either a really amazing coincidence, or there is something there.

It needs to be noted that most of these men were older, and smoking is considered just one cause of erectile dysfunction. The others include stress, hypertension, alcoholism, diabetes, and prostate surgery. Young smokers may not notice negative effects right away, but they could be setting themselves up for "failure" later on.

So what does all this about impotence mean for women? During sexual arousal, the labia, clitoris, and vagina also swell up with blood, similar to a man's penis, enhancing sensation and arousal. If nicotine can restrict blood flow and cause erectile dysfunction in men, it can be assumed that blood flow is restricted in women as well, and may have a negative effect on sensation.

It's hard to say whether your sex life will improve if you quit smoking, since there are many factors influencing your sex life beyond genital sensation. Of course, quitting smoking would also eliminate stained teeth, unhealthy skin, rapid accumulation of wrinkles on the face, and clothing, hair, and breath that stink of smoke. That might improve one's sex life. Decreasing your risk of cancer and heart disease — which tend to have negative effects on one's sex life — can also be sexy in the long run.

Quitting smoking can't do any harm to your sex life, so why not give it a try? If you discover a new realm of sensation during sex from smoking cessation, that's just one more positive aspect to add to the long list of benefits you already know about.

Alice

P.S.: Here's a suggestion for the Surgeon General, if he's reading: change the current warning label on cigarette packages to read, "Smoking can be hazardous to your sex life." This might really get smokers to "kick the habit."

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