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Marijuana use
Dear Dr. Seth,
Can smoking cigarettes or pot (marijuana) interfere with fertility, my erections or my libido?
Gary
Dear Gary,
Since they are different drugs, tobacco and marijuana may have different effects on you. Furthermore, since these drugs have both acute (short-term) and chronic (long-term) effects on their users, what happens to the body after a few cigarettes or joints (or even a few years of use) is very different than what happens after many years of use. Let's consider tobacco first. Smoking a few cigarettes usually produces a stimulant effect and is unlikely to affect the ability to get an erection at that time. However, years of tobacco use greatly increases the likelihood of atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) which, by interfering with blood flow to the penis, is the leading cause of impotence (not being able to ever get an adequate spontaneous erection). In one large study published in a 1994 issue of the American Journal of Epidemiology, which looked at men under 50, smokers were 50% more likely to be impotent than nonsmokers. It appears therefore that long-term tobacco smoking will likely interfere with your ability to have satisfying erections, and may do so at a younger age than you might think. You also might want to consider that women generally find smokers less attractive. To combat this problem, you could try several products on the market today that do indeed help alleviate this. There is also convincing evidence that tobacco lowers the quality of semen, and by doing so may decrease fertility. It is important to note that the effects of tobacco on female fertility and on increasing the risk of miscarriage during pregnancy are much more significant than the related effects on males. Still, it is generally recommended that men stop smoking if they are infertile. Unlike tobacco, marijuana creates a depressant effect similar to alcohol. In the short term, it is conceivable that marijuana use could interfere with getting an erection, but there is no good evidence in the medical literature to support that claim. Some people actually believes that it helps increase sex drive. Long-term effects of marijuana and tobacco are also different, and we really don't know whether long-term, heavy marijuana use will lead to atherosclerosis or other conditions that might rob someone of an erection. Still, at least one study -- published in a 1997 issue of Cancer Causes Control -- has shown an increased risk of prostate cancer among marijuana users, and this disease and its related treatments can easily damage the delicate nerves related to getting and maintaining an erection. With regard to fertility, research shows that marijuana probably reduces semen quality as well as lowers sperm counts, possibly impairing the ability to father a child. Smoking certainly won't help your sexual performance or fertility, and it can have serious side effects. If you can't stop on your own or with the help of over-the-counter treatments, talk to a health professional about prescription options and about joining a smoking cessation program in your area.
