Every day, millions of people—more than 61 million in the US, to be exact—consume nicotine and tobacco products. There are several items on the market that contain nicotine, ranging from nicotine patches to e-cigarettes.
According to research, using tobacco and nicotine products can have major negative health implications, such as altering your sex hormones and sexual function. According to certain research, smoking may even alter your levels of desire, libido, or sexual drive.
The study on nicotine’s effects on sex drive is covered in this article, along with whether or not stopping smoking can increase libido.
Does nicotine have an impact on a man’s sex drive?
Numerous research on the relationship between libido and nicotine consumption indicate that smoking cigarettes, in particular, can have a detrimental effect on a man’s sex desire.
among 2020, a small study looked at depression, sexual function, and other health issues among young adults who were addicted to nicotine. Researchers discovered that nicotine dependency caused sexual dysfunction in areas linked to erection, sex drive, arousal, and even orgasm.
Does nicotine have an impact on female sex drive?
Experts haven’t done much research on female sexual dysfunction, but smoking seems to affect female desire negatively.
Sexual dysfunction was reported by over 34% of women with substance use disorders. Additionally, the likelihood of sexual dysfunction was nearly three times higher in individuals who explicitly had nicotine dependency.
Does nicotine have an impact on intersex and transgender people’s sex drive?
There are very few research examining the association between nicotine use and sexual function in intersex and transgender people. However, since desire is negatively impacted in both men and women, historically marginalized groups’ sexual health is likely to be impacted as well.
Although the effects of nicotine on transgender persons are probably comparable to those on cisgender people, transgender people may be more susceptible to these effects.
Does the sex desire increase after you quite smoking?
There is less research on how stopping nicotine can increase sex drive, despite evidence that nicotine may decrease it. Nonetheless, one study that looked at this subject discovered that stopping smoking can actually improve libido. To conclude whether quitting nicotine can help enhance sex drive in a larger population, more research is required.
The bottom line
Numerous studies have examined the relationship between nicotine and sexual function, and the findings indicate that using nicotine, particularly from cigarettes, may raise the likelihood of having poor sex drive.
Talk to a doctor about your concerns if you see changes in your sex drive, such as a decrease in libido, arousal, or other symptoms. Your doctor can investigate many underlying issues that might impact your sex drive, even if nicotine may be one of the causes of these changes.