It is estimated that more than 1 billion people worldwide smoke today. According to the latest data, the smoking rate in Türkiye is 23.8% (OECD Health 2015 data). The harmful effects of smoking are well known. Here, I would like to focus specifically on its effects on reproductive health.

Cigarettes contain around 4,000 toxic chemicals from different groups. These harmful substances negatively affect many body systems, including the reproductive system. The negative effects of smoking on reproductive health can be grouped into two categories: effects on female reproductive health and effects on male reproductive health.

Effects on Female Reproductive Health

  • Negative effects on egg development: Studies have shown that nicotine was detected in the follicular fluid of 84% of women who themselves and whose partners did not smoke. This means that these women were exposed to cigarette smoke environmentally. In such cases, it is as if the egg is swimming in a pool of toxic substances. Research has shown that all stages of egg development are delayed in women who smoke. Smoking women also experience a faster decline in ovarian reserve and enter menopause earlier. In addition, smokers undergoing fertility treatments such as IVF often require more medication, produce fewer eggs, and experience more treatment cancellations.
  • Negative effects on hormones: In women who smoke, the blood level of FSH (follicle-stimulating hormone), which reflects ovarian function, has been found to be approximately twice as high as in non-smokers. This is related to the reduced ovarian reserve and function caused by smoking.
  • Negative effects on the fallopian tubes: The fallopian tubes are where the egg and sperm meet and fertilization occurs. Smoking impairs the function of the epithelial layer lining the tubes, reducing the likelihood that the egg and sperm will meet.
  • Negative effects on embryo implantation: Smoking interferes with the embryo’s ability to implant in the uterine wall. IVF studies have shown that even when healthy embryos are transferred, pregnancy rates are significantly lower in smokers than in non-smokers. Smoking reduces blood flow in the uterine lining and changes its properties.
  • Smoking and endometriosis: Aromatic hydrocarbons and especially dioxins found in cigarettes have been shown to increase the risk of endometriosis.
  • Negative effects during pregnancy: Smoking may create serious risks for both the mother and the baby during pregnancy, including miscarriage, premature rupture of membranes, placental abruption, preterm birth, and ectopic pregnancy.

Effects on Male Reproductive Health

  • Negative effects on sperm: Smoking has harmful effects on both sperm count and sperm motility. Men who smoke also have higher numbers of white blood cells and abnormally shaped sperm in their semen. In addition, sperm DNA damage, which has become an important topic in recent years, is more common in smokers. DNA damage reduces the sperm’s ability to fertilize the egg.
  • Negative effects on hormones and blood vessels: In men who smoke, estrogen and prolactin levels are higher. Smoking also narrows blood vessels, reducing blood flow and potentially causing erectile dysfunction. Men who smoke and have varicocele have a tenfold higher risk of azoospermia (absence of sperm) compared with non-smokers who also have varicocele.

As can be seen, smoking negatively affects reproductive health as well. While there are already so many environmental factors threatening our health, knowingly harming ourselves and even paying for it is truly a serious paradox.

We wish everyone a SMOKE-FREE LIFE.

Prof. Dr. Ümit İnceboz