Thanks to the worldwide campaign, providing the informative, sociological,
and psychological pressure on the smokers, the health risks of tobacco smoking
are well known even to the involved population with regard to diseases of the
heart, lungs, and blood vessels. Substantial harmful effects of cigarette smoke
on fertility have been in a focus of multiple studies, and they are
overwhelmingly confirmed by independent statistical and medical results.
However, not all the smokers, especially from the younger generations, accept
this medical conclusion. Unfortunately, the fact that cigarette smoking has a
negative impact on the ability to become pregnant and carry a pregnancy to term
for woman has been established, and if you decide to keep smoking while you
plan to have a child in the nearest future, be aware on the possible negative
consequences.
Note that Infertility
statistics in society have established that about among women between the ages
of fifteen and forty four, close to 12 percent suffer from some form of
infertility. This percentage roughly measures up to about seven and a half
million. Essentially, there are two things that are taken into consideration
here – problems with getting pregnant and problems during pregnancy.
Impact of
cigarette smoking on reproduction in women
Virtually all scientific studies support the conclusion that cigarette smoking
has an adverse impact on fertility. The prevalence of infertility is higher,
and the time it takes to conceive is longer for smokers, compared to
nonsmokers. Active smoking by either partner has adverse effects, and the impact
of passive cigarette smoke exposure may also be noticeable while reviewing the
whole picture.
Research indicates that cigarette smoking is harmful to a woman’s
ovaries, and the degree of harm is dependent upon the amount and the period of
time a woman smokes. Smoking appears to accelerate the loss of eggs and
reproductive function and may advance the time of menopause by several years. Components
in cigarette smoke have been shown to interfere with the ability of cells in
the ovary to make estrogen and to cause a woman’s eggs (oocytes) to be more
prone to genetic abnormalities.
For example, one of
the studies done in mice showed that nicotine had disruptive effects on egg
maturation, ovulation rates, and fertilization rates. The study also showed
more chromosomal abnormalities in the eggs exposed to nicotine.
Another study offered
the following statistical data: 38% of female non-smokers conceived in their
1st cycle of attempting pregnancy compared to 28% of smokers. Smokers were also
3-4 times more likely than non-smokers to have taken greater than a year to
conceive.
As was already
mentioned before, more cigarettes a woman smokes a day, the longer she may take
to get pregnant. According to one study, which looked at just over 4,000 women,
after three and a half months of trying to get pregnant, almost 60% of
non-smokers had achieved pregnancy. For women who smoked one to ten cigarettes
a day, around 50% had achieved pregnancy. And for women who smoked over ten
cigarettes per day, only 45% had achieved pregnancy after three and a half
months. If quitting completely does not seem to be in the cards for you,
cutting back is still worth trying for.
Smoking is also strongly associated with an increased risk of spontaneous
miscarriage and possibly ectopic pregnancy. Pregnant smokers are more likely to
have low birth weight babies and premature birth. The incidence of sudden infant
death syndrome (SIDS) also slightly increases in households where someone
smokes.
Impact of
cigarette smoking on assisted reproductive therapy outcomes
Nearly twice as many in vitro fertilization (IVF) attempts are required
to conceive in smokers than in nonsmokers.
Studies of IVF have reported that female smokers require higher doses of
gonadotropins to stimulate their ovaries, have lower peak estradiol levels,
fewer oocytes obtained, more canceled cycles, lower implantation rates, and
undergo more cycles with failed fertilization than nonsmokers.
One study showed
that the chance for an IVF pregnancy was 2.7 times higher for women who have
never smoked as compared to women that do (or have previously). The same study
showed that if the woman smoked for over 5 years, the risk was increased to 4.8.
Miscarriage rates are also increased.
The adverse effect of cigarette smoking is more noticeable in older
women. Overall, the reduction in natural
fertility associated with smoking may not be overcome by assisted reproductive
technologies.
Impact of
cigarette smoking on reproduction in men
Men who smoke cigarettes have a lower sperm count and motility and
increased abnormalities in sperm shape and function. The reason for the sperm
count and quality decrease is based on a fact that tobacco smoking may affect
the testosterone levels.
Another risk factor
for fertility in men is related to the fact that smoking can gradually and
permanently damage all blood vessels, including those that carry blood to the
penis. This can make it difficult to get or maintain an erection.
The effect of smoking on male fertility in general, however, is more
difficult to discern because it is difficult to create studies to address that
question. Although the effects of cigarette smoking on male fertility remain
inconclusive, the harmful effect of passive smoke on the fertility of female
partners and the evidence that smoking adversely affects sperm quality suggest
that smoking in men should be regarded as an infertility risk factor.
In the recent study,
performed by Dr. Lani Burkman, a fertility expert at the University of Buffalo
School of Medicine, it has been compared sperm samples from 18 smokers to a
similar group of men who never smoked. As part of the test, researchers divided
the protective layer that covers female eggs in half and placed them in a
separate lab dish. The smoker's sperm samples were tested against one half of
the egg covering, while the non-smokers were tested against the other half.
Success was judged by the ability of the sperm to stick to this outer coating.
Result showed that the men who smoked 18 or more cigarettes a day for at least
two years had about one quarter of the fertilization power as non-smokers. Those
who smoked less had better functioning sperm, suggesting that guys may not have
to go cold turkey to improve their chances. "If we can get men to cut down
to five or six cigarettes a day, they can increase their fertility," suggested
Dr. Burkman.
Smoking
cessation as a treatment issue in couples undergoing fertility therapy
One important investigation showed that cessation of smoking for
at least two months before attempting IVF significantly improved chances
for conception. Although
long-term cigarette smoking can have an irreversible effect on ovarian
function, the harmful effect on treatment outcome may, in part, be
reversed if smoking is discontinued prior to entering into fertility therapy.
Summary
The best available scientific data indicate that cigarette smoking strongly
contributes to infertility. So if you have been planning a child, then it is about time to give up on
smoking. This is a very important stage in your lives, and you should show
the best love and support to yourself and your partner. Quitting smoking, at
least temporary, will definitely help to prevent very unpleasant possible
consequences.
Smoking should be especially discouraged for both male and female partners
in couples with a history of infertility or recurrent miscarriage. Smoking
cessation may improve natural fertility and success rates with infertility treatment.
Sources and Additional
Information:
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ReplyDeleteMale Fertility