- Common Causes of Infertility - Facts about Smoking and Infertility in Women
Among the more common causes of infertility in women is cigarette smoking.
Facts about making babies show that female smokers are more likely to have
fertility problems than non-smokers. Smoking is one of the reasons for infertility in women and
just one of the many health risks of smoking cigarettes that affects the childbearing function
and reproductive health.
Making babies is difficult for about 10 percent of women and not all of those women are smokers.
Some of the reasons for infertility in women include:
age - fertility decreases after 30 yrs of age.
weight - significant deviations from the normal amounts of body fat can impair fertility.
physical obstructions, disease or malformations of the reproductive organs.
hormonal imbalances that impair the normal process of ovulation and implantation of the fertilized egg.
Increasingly the facts about smoking and infertility in women are showing that smoking can now be added to
this list of the common causes of infertility.
"The evidence is sufficient to infer a causal relationship between smoking and reduced fertility in women."
2004 US surgeon General's report Executive Summary p 5
In order for conception to occur women have to produce an egg that can be fertilized and then implanted
in the uterus to continue growing into a fetus and a full term infant.
Facts About Smoking and Infertility in Women
Female smokers may have a decreased ovulatory
response, meaning that the process of producing and releasing mature eggs is impaired. There is evidence to suggest that fertilization and implantation may also be impaired.
This may explain why female smokers take longer to conceive. On average it may take 1.75 yrs longer for conception to take place in a
heavy smoker.
Other factors that may contribute to the higher rate of infertility in women who smoke might be the chemical changes in the cervical mucus.
Since many of the toxic ingredients in cigarettes have been isolated in cervical mucus the conclusion is that perhaps this change prevents the sperm
from penetrating the cervical fluid on its journey up the female reproductive tract.
Facts about Smoking and Reproductive Health in Women
Smoking is among the causes of infertility in women but the real health effects of smoking cigarettes
go far beyond just the possibility of not being able to conceive. Blood that is filled with toxins
and has a lowered oxygen content cannot nourish the female reproductive tract.
Cervical Cancer
Toxic chemicals found in a cigarette are
distributed throughout the body and have been isolated in the cervical mucus. Research
is ongoing to confirm whether this is one of the causes of
cervical cancer since female smokers do have a higher prevalence of that type of cancer.
Dysmenorrhea
The health effects of smoking cigarettes for female smokers could be painful periods. Studies have confirmed
dysmenorrhea is more prevalent and more severe in smokers than non smokers. The research suggests that
that secondhand smoking through
exposure to environmental tobacco smoke
can have a similar effect. Estimates are that female smokers have a 50% higher risk for dysmenorrhea than
than nonsmokers.
Menopause
On average female smokers reach menopause about 2 years earlier than non-smokers.
More severe symptoms of menopause have also been noted in women who smoke.
Breast Cancer
Read the new facts about smoking and the development of breast cancer in female smokers who have genetic breast cancer risk factors.
The facts about smoking are clear. There are profound effects of smoking on the female reproductive
system. Is it any wonder then that smoking is listed among the common causes of infertility in women?
The purpose of the information provided here is to help you cooperate with your doctor and other
health practitioners. It is not intended to take the place of medical advice and you are encouraged to
discuss health concerns with your physician or a professional health care provider who is
familiar with you and your unique personal health context.
