Smoking can significantly reduce the chances of conceiving, according to a World Health Organization review of scientific studies.
The WHO says tobacco use is directly linked to infertility in women and harms sperm quality and sexual function in men. Passive smoking can also damage fertility.
Around one in six people worldwide experience some form of infertility. At the same time, scientists are becoming better at identifying the factors that increase the risk.
The WHO review found that women who smoke are up to 40% more likely to become infertile than women who do not smoke.
Researchers stressed, however, that quitting smoking still makes a difference. Among women who used to smoke but stopped, the risk of infertility is 25% lower than among those who continued smoking.
The findings also challenge the idea that smoking-related infertility is mainly a women’s issue. In men, smoking is linked to a range of reproductive problems, including sperm abnormalities and sexual dysfunction.
The studies show that men who smoke face a higher risk of erectile dysfunction, ejaculation problems and related sperm defects, such as reduced motility, abnormal shape and, in some cases, a complete absence of sperm.
