Smokers are having 50 percent higher risk of getting sexual dysfunction, according to the survey results announced by the University of Hong Kong (HKU) on Tuesday.

The Faculty of Medicine of HKU, together with the Family Planning Association of Hong Kong and Kwong Wah Hospital, jointly conducted a research entitled Smoking and Sexual Dysfunction in Male in 2001, which aimed to investigate the relationship between male sexual functioning and smoking.

A total of 819 males, aged 31-60, who had at least one sex partner in the previous six months were selected from the Man Health Survey of the Family Planning Association of Hong Kong to carry out the research.

The research team analyzed the data on the relationship between smoking and sexual dysfunction and observed an increasing trend on the indices of sexual dysfunction, with age and the amount of cigarettes smoked per day.

The research results show that, smokers, especially for those who smoke 20 cigarettes or more per day, have 50 percent higher risk of having sexual dysfunction, which is in line with results from overseas studies.

According to Head of Community Medicine Department of Medical Faculty of HKU Professor Lam Tai-hing, smoking can damage the blood circulation system in the penis and cause blockage in the blood vessels and lead to erectile dysfunction (ED).

ED negatively affects the quality of life of patients as well as their self-esteem and can cause depression, which in turn, will jeopardize the patient's interpersonal relationship, normal social life and marriage, added Lam.

Since the longer one smokes, the greater the damage smoking induces to sexual function, and the later one stops smoking, the more difficult for the damage to recover, Lam suggested that smokers should stop smoking as soon as possible.

(Xinhua News Agency May 12, 2004)