Warning for men living in cities: Air pollution might be ruining your sex life ... trends now
Air pollution might be killing men's sex lives.
Research suggests men living in heavily polluted cities can find it harder to get erections.
They're also more likely to struggle with premature ejaculation, according to the same study.
And tests showed extroverted men with a normal BMI were worst affected.
Chinese experts tracked over 5,000 men, asking them about their general health and sexual function.
Research suggests men living in heavily polluted cities can find it harder to get erections. They're also more likely to struggle with premature ejaculation, according to the same study. And tests showed extroverted men with a normal BMI were worst affected
Average levels of six pollutants close to their homes were also assessed over the course of 12 months.
These included particles less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter (PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and sulfur dioxide (SO2).
All three have been linked to health woes such as heart disease and dementia.
The particles, emitted by car exhausts and wood-burning stoves can be so small they travel deep into the lungs and bloodstream.
Researchers at Anhui Medical University found men exposed to the highest average NO2 levels had the worst erectile function.
This was measured by a questionnaire that asks men about how often they get erect and whether they can maintain them. It gives them a score out of 25.
The highest NO2 levels in the study were recorded at 30 μg/m3.
UK laws currently state hourly levels of toxic NO2 must not exceed the threshold of 40 µg/m3 more than 18 times a year.
However, air quality tracking tools shows that this limit is regularly breached in parts of London.
