New York, Sept. 8 (Petra) – Smoking impairs fertility for both men
and women worldwide, a critical threat, given that one in six people
globally will face infertility in their lifetime, World Health
Organization (WHO) warned on Tuesday.

A new WHO report links tobacco use to severe reproductive harms,
including impaired sperm quality, sexual dysfunction in men, and
reduced fertility in women.

The health agency cautioned that secondhand smoke poses similar
reproductive risks, exposing non-smokers to involuntary fertility
hazards.

A systematic review of studies from 2000 to 2026 revealed female
smokers are 40% more likely to experience infertility compared to
non-smokers. For men, an analysis of 44 studies covering over 60,000
subjects connected smoking directly to abnormal semen parameters and
sexual dysfunction.

Additionally, research across 21 studies showed cigarette smoking
slashes live births and successful pregnancies following IVF
treatment by nearly half.

While evidence is strongest for traditional cigarettes, the WHO
warned other tobacco and nicotine products, including hookahs, also
threaten fertility and require further study.

//Petra// HA