WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Smoking very likely makes it harder to have a baby, the World Health Organization warned in a new publication issued on Tuesday, highlighting that women who smoke have a 40 per cent higher risk of infertility compared to non-smokers.
'For all people who plan pregnancies, our message is, 'Stop smoking, improve your health, improve your reproductive health as well,' said Dr Kerstin Schotte, Medical Officer with WHO's Tobacco FreeInitiative.
WHO defines infertility as failing to achieve pregnancy after 12 months or more of regular unprotected sexual intercourse - a condition that affects one in six people globally.
In a new report, summarizing all the evidence on a link between tobacco smoking and infertility, the UN health agency cited decades of evidence that shows tobacco use is associated with infertility in women while also being harmful to sperm quality and sexual function in men.
WHO also noted that second-hand smoke can affect fertility, meaning that people can face possible reproductive risks even if they do not smoke.
The WHO publication also suggests that quitting can make a difference as women who smoked in the past but no longer do so may have a 25 per cent lower risk of infertility than those who continue to smoke tobacco.
WHO stressed that infertility is not solely a women's issue. A review of 44 studies involving more than 60,000 men found that smoking was linked to reproductive dysfunction, including semen abnormalities and sexual dysfunction.
WHO also identified other possible risks of waterpipe smoking - also known as hookah or shisha - which may affect male fertility.
While evidence on e-cigarettes (also known as vapes), waterpipes and smokeless tobacco and other new products is still emerging, WHO said that other tobacco and nicotine products may also pose reproductive risks and require further research.
WHO also warned that exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke may increase infertility risk for women as it could lower the likelihood of conceiving each month they try.
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