Adnkronos (Adnkronos) – Smoking could compromise the chances of having a baby, reducing the likelihood of conceiving. This is the warning issued by a new report from the World Health Organization (WHO), which brings together all the scientific evidence according to which tobacco use could be associated with infertility in women, harmful effects on sperm and sexual function in men, and a potential reduction in the success rate of some fertility treatments.
The authors of the document also warn about the reproductive health risks associated with secondhand smoke.
Globally, one in six people of childbearing age will experience infertility—the inability to achieve pregnancy after 12 months or more of regular unprotected sex—in their lifetime. The publication cites decades of scientific evidence demonstrating how smoking can impact women's reproduction.
A systematic review of studies conducted between 2000 and 2026 found that smokers have a 40% higher risk of infertility than women who never smoke. However, the data also suggests that "quitting smoking can make a significant difference." Indeed, women who have smoked tobacco in the past but are currently nonsmokers may have a 25% lower risk of infertility than women who continue to smoke.
But it's not just a women's problem. A recent review of 44 studies involving over 60 men found that smoking is associated with reproductive dysfunction, including sperm abnormalities and sexual dysfunction. Evidence indicates that men who smoke are more likely to suffer from erectile dysfunction, ejaculation difficulties, and related problems such as absent sperm in semen, poor sperm motility, and abnormal sperm shape.
For people undergoing fertility treatments, the document cites research, based on 21 studies, demonstrating a link between cigarette smoking and fewer births and pregnancies following assisted reproductive technologies (ART), such as in vitro fertilization. The findings suggest that cigarette smoking may halve the chances of success. Hookah smoking, also known as shisha, may also affect male fertility. Other studies indicate that women exposed to secondhand smoke may have a higher risk of infertility and a lower likelihood of conceiving each month they try to conceive. Scientific evidence on newer products, including e-cigarettes and smokeless tobacco, is still being studied. The strongest evidence, explains the WHO, concerns cigarette smoking, but the UN health agency warns that other tobacco and nicotine products may also pose risks to fertility and require further research. The WHO, according to a statement, "recommends that health care providers inform couples planning a pregnancy about the reproductive risks of tobacco use and offer evidence-based support to help them quit. It also recommends that brief advice on how to quit be systematically provided to all smokers in all health care settings."
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