Smoking may reduce chances of having a baby, WHO warns
Tobacco smoking may reduce the chances of conception and harm fertility in both women and men, the World Health Organisation has warned.
In a knowledge summary published on Tuesday, the WHO said tobacco use had been linked to infertility in women, poor sperm quality and sexual dysfunction in men, as well as reduced chances of success with some fertility treatments.
The global health agency also warned that non-smokers exposed to second-hand tobacco smoke could face reproductive health risks.
“Smoking may reduce the chances of conceiving for many people worldwide,” the WHO said, citing evidence from decades of research.
According to the agency, about one in six people of reproductive age experiences infertility at some point in their lifetime. It defines infertility as the inability to achieve pregnancy after 12 months or more of regular, unprotected sexual intercourse.
The WHO said a systematic review of studies conducted between 2000 and 2026 found that women who currently smoked tobacco had a 40 per cent higher risk of infertility than women who did not smoke.
It also noted that quitting smoking could reduce the risk, saying women who had previously smoked but had stopped had a 25 per cent lower risk of infertility than those who continued to smoke.
The agency stressed that infertility should not be viewed solely as a women’s health issue, noting that smoking could also significantly affect male reproductive health.
According to the WHO, a review of 44 studies involving more than 60,000 men found that smoking was associated with reproductive dysfunction, including abnormalities in semen and sexual dysfunction.
The agency said male smokers were more likely to experience erectile dysfunction, ejaculation problems and other reproductive complications, including the absence of sperm in semen, poor sperm movement and abnormal sperm shape.
The potential impact of smoking also extends to couples seeking medical assistance to conceive. The WHO said earlier research involving 21 studies linked cigarette smoking to fewer pregnancies and live births following assisted reproductive procedures, including in vitro fertilisation.
The findings suggested that the chances of successful outcomes could be substantially reduced among people who smoked cigarettes.
The WHO further warned that exposure to second-hand smoke could also affect fertility, particularly among women.
It said women exposed to second-hand smoke might have a higher risk of infertility and a lower chance of conceiving in each month they tried to become pregnant.
However, the agency noted that evidence on newer tobacco and nicotine products remained limited. It said the strongest evidence currently concerned cigarette smoking, while the potential effects of e-cigarettes, waterpipes and smokeless tobacco on fertility required further research.
The WHO urged healthcare providers to educate individuals and couples planning pregnancy about the reproductive risks associated with tobacco use and provide evidence-based support to help them quit.
It also recommended that healthcare workers routinely offer brief smoking cessation advice to all tobacco users who access healthcare services.