Smoking tobacco may harm people’s chances of getting pregnant, says WHO
A new World Health Organization review indicates that smoking tobacco and using nicotine products significantly increase the risk of infertility in both men and women. The findings suggest that quitting tobacco can lead to a measurable improvement in reproductive health outcomes.
Why it matters
This public health guidance provides evidence-based warnings that could influence personal health decisions and global tobacco control policies.
Smoking tobacco is also associated with potentially lower chances of success from some fertility treatments. File photo: iStock
Smoking tobacco may have a negative impact in people’s chances of getting pregnant with harmful impacts for men and women, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday.
It also raised the alarm about emerging evidence of potential risks to fertility linked to products such as smokeless tobacco as well as nicotine products such as vapes .
Smoking tobacco is also associated with potentially lower chances of success from some fertility treatments, the WHO said.
Around one in six people will experience infertility during their lives for a variety of reasons.
This new summary is based on a review of decades of studies from around the world.
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