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Getting the latest healthcare news for you
Getting the latest healthcare news for you
Lighting up could be dimming your chances of parenthood. A new WHO knowledge summary finds that women who smoke face a 40% higher risk of infertility, while male smokers are more likely to experience sperm abnormalities and sexual dysfunction. Even secondhand smoke isn't off the hook — exposure can reduce monthly conception chances for non-smoking women too.
A new World Health Organization knowledge summary is sounding the alarm on tobacco's impact on fertility — and it affects both sexes. Drawing on decades of research, the report finds that smoking is linked to infertility in women, reproductive dysfunction in men, and reduced success rates for fertility treatments. With 1 in 6 people of reproductive age experiencing infertility globally, the findings carry significant weight.
For women, current smokers face a 40% higher risk of infertility compared to non-smokers — but quitting helps. Former smokers show a 25% lower risk than those who continue. Men aren't spared either: a review of 44 studies involving over 60,000 men tied smoking to erectile dysfunction, poor sperm motility, and abnormal sperm shape. For couples pursuing IVF, smoking may roughly halve the chances of a successful outcome.
Why it matters: WHO is urging healthcare providers to routinely counsel patients planning pregnancy about tobacco's reproductive risks and offer evidence-based cessation support — a simple but potentially life-changing intervention in every clinical setting.
