WHO Confirms Smoking Can Reduce Fertility in Men and Women

Smoking can make it harder for both women and men to conceive, the World Health Organization said in a review of scientific evidence gathered over the past quarter-century. The organization also warned that exposure to secondhand smoke may affect reproductive health.

The WHO said one in six people of reproductive age will experience infertility at some point in life. It defines infertility as being unable to achieve pregnancy after 12 months or more of regular unprotected sex.

For women, smokers face a 40% higher risk of infertility than nonsmokers, according to the review. Women who smoked in the past but have quit have a 25% lower risk than women who continue to smoke. The WHO said the finding indicates that quitting can make a significant difference.

The organization stressed that infertility is not only a women’s health issue. Its review of 44 studies involving 60,000 men found links between smoking and reproductive problems, including semen abnormalities and sexual dysfunction. “Men who smoke more frequently experienced erectile dysfunction and ejaculation problems, as well as an absence of sperm in semen, lower sperm motility and changes in sperm morphology,” the WHO researchers said.

Water-pipe tobacco, including shisha and hookah, may also affect male fertility. Studies have linked cigarette use to fewer pregnancies and births after assisted reproductive procedures such as in vitro fertilization. The WHO said positive outcomes could be reduced by half among cigarette smokers.

Research continues into newer products, including electronic cigarettes, water pipes, smokeless tobacco and other nicotine products. The WHO said it cannot yet make conclusive claims about them, but they may also carry fertility risks. It recommended that health professionals inform people and couples planning to have children about the reproductive risks of tobacco use.

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Men who smoke more frequently experienced erectile dysfunction and ejaculation problems, as well as an absence of sperm in semen, lower sperm motility and changes in sperm morphology.