title: Association between smoking cessation and sexual health in men.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To provide the first empirical investigation of the association between smoking cessation and indices of physiological and subjective sexual health in men.
  
  
  METHODS
  Male smokers, irrespective of erectile dysfunction status, who were motivated to stop smoking ('quitters'), were enrolled in an 8-week smoking cessation programme involving a nicotine transdermal patch treatment and adjunctive counselling. Participants were assessed at baseline (while smoking regularly), at mid-treatment (while using a high-dose nicotine transdermal patch), and at a 4-week post-cessation follow-up. Physiological (circumferential change via penile plethysmography) and subjective sexual arousal indices (continuous self-report), as well as self-reported sexual functioning were assessed at each visit.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Intent-to-treat analyses indicated that, at follow-up, successful quitters (n= 20), compared with those who relapsed (n= 45), showed enhanced erectile tumescence responses, and faster onset to reach maximum subjective sexual arousal. Although successful quitters displayed across-session enhancements in sexual function, they did not show a differential improvement compared with unsuccessful quitters.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Smoking cessation significantly enhances both physiological and self-reported indices of sexual health in long-term male smokers, irrespective of baseline erectile impairment. It is hoped that these results may serve as a novel means to motivate men to stop smoking.
authors: Department of Psychology, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA. charte@mail.utexas.edu
authors: Christopher B
authors: CB
authors: Harte
authors: Cindy M
authors: CM
authors: Meston
mesh_terms: D000279:Administration, Cutaneous; D000328:Adult; D001143:Arousal; D003376:Counseling; D007172:Erectile Dysfunction / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010410:Penile Erection; D010991:Plethysmography; D057566:Self Report; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000628:therapy*; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000379:methods*; D061485:Tobacco Use Cessation Devices; D016896:Treatment Outcome