Does Vaping Affect Sexual Function?

A study led by the Grossman School of Medicine at New York University (NYU) and the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine aimed to determine the relationship between erectile dysfunction and the use of electronic cigarettes.

Impact of Vaping on Sexual Function
“Because many people who use electronic cigarettes are thought to either not be more harmful than traditional cigarettes or are looking to quit smoking, we need to explore the relationship between electronic cigarette products and erectile dysfunction,” said Dr. Omar El-Shahawy, a researcher at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine and holder of a Master’s in Public Health.

The study, titled “Association of Electronic Cigarette Use With Erectile Dysfunction,” was published on November 30, 2021, in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. The data for this study came from the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH), a study that monitors the behavior of 45,971 American adults and its impact on health.

Researchers extracted samples from 13,711 men aged 20 and above. From these numbers, researchers filtered 11,207 adult males between the ages of 20 and 65 with no history of cardiovascular disease.

Does Vaping Affect Sexual Function?

Based on smoking habits, participants were categorized as follows:

53% were former smokers
21% were current smokers
14% were users of other combustible tobacco products
Among the 13,711 participants and the 11,207 participants without a history of cardiovascular disease, 4.8% and 4.7%, respectively, reported using electronic cigarettes. Moreover, within this percentage, 2.1% and 2.5%, respectively, consumed electronic cigarettes daily.

Furthermore, researchers found that erectile dysfunction was a significant issue between these two groups. In the 13,711 participants, 20.7% reported erectile dysfunction. Meanwhile, in the healthier group of 11,207 participants, 10.2% reported erectile dysfunction.

The likelihood of experiencing erectile dysfunction was more than twice as high for daily smokers or vapers compared to the other group. These findings applied to individuals with a history of cardiovascular disease as well as those without.

On the other hand, researchers pointed out that individuals with a history of cardiovascular disease and aged 65 and above had a higher risk of experiencing erectile dysfunction.

“Our research results took into account the participants’ smoking history, including those who never smoked. Therefore, it is most likely that daily use of electronic cigarettes may be associated with a high risk of erectile dysfunction, regardless of a person’s smoking history,” said Omar.

Limitations of the Study:

Don’t be disheartened, vapers! This study has some good news. Researchers highlighted a limitation in this study. The drawback lies in the data used, which is based on participants’ self-reports of electronic cigarette use and erectile dysfunction. Therefore, there is still a possibility of errors occurring.

Additionally, there is no data on whether participants are taking medication that could cause erectile dysfunction, such as antidepressants or beta-blockers.

In light of this, researchers hope to investigate in the future whether the use of electronic cigarettes is more strongly associated with erectile dysfunction compared to other tobacco products, and whether the risk of erectile dysfunction decreases with the cessation of electronic cigarette use.

“At this point, we don’t have enough evidence. Is it the nicotine in electronic cigarettes that poses the risk of erectile dysfunction, or are there other components that may affect erectile function?” Omar added.

Researchers also need to pay attention to the relationship between the use of combustible tobacco and electronic cigarette products and female sexual dysfunction.

In conclusion, this study suggests that electronic cigarettes may impact sexual function. However, the study has several limitations and gaps in comprehensiveness in terms of samples, so further in-depth research is needed. Stay tuned to Vape Factory for more information in this regard.