★ Vaping, like tobacco, harms the fertility of women and men.

Although tobacco consumption in Spain has been on a downward trend this century, according to the National Health System’s Annual Report, 19.8% of Spaniards aged 15 years and older smoke daily.¹. According to the same data, women smoke less than men. 16.4% of Spanish women over 15 years of age smoke every day, compared with 23.3% of men. However, the consequences of bad health habits affect us all over the world.

In addition to the effects on general health, such as an increased risk of lung and cardiovascular diseases and some types of cancer, The harmful effects of tobacco on overall health and its toxicity at every stage of the reproductive process have been proven.². Experts agree that quitting smoking, or ideally quitting, is crucial for anyone who wants to have children, even if it’s not in the immediate future.

“It is important not to forget that the success of pregnancy depends not only on the quality of the oocytes, but also on the sperm; both can be seriously affected by tobacco,” explains Dr. Begoña Arnott, gynecologist at the Ginemed Assisted Reproduction and Infertility Clinic – FIV 4 Asturias. Both nicotine and other components present in cigarettes cause various endocrine imbalances, affecting the levels of glands such as the thyroid gland, adrenal glands, pituitary gland, as well as testicular and ovarian functions.

According to the Spanish Society of Fertility (SEF), tobacco use in women is associated with longer pregnancy times, aging ovarian function and decreased markers of ovarian reserve.².

“Although the topic may be less known among the general population, the effects of tobacco on male fertility go beyond problems with erectile dysfunction,” adds Specialist Ginemed – IVF 4 Asturias. In men, smoking leads to changes in sperm concentration, motility, morphology². Tobacco use by men is considered to cause external damage to the genetic material of sperm and is therefore a major obstacle to a successful and healthy pregnancy.

There is a link between tobacco consumption and the results achieved after assisted reproduction treatment. For example, with regard to methods such as in vitro fertilization (IVF), SEF explains that there are poorer results from ovarian stimulation, lower pregnancy rates with higher rates of abortions and ectopic pregnancies in patients who smoke, since the toxic components of tobacco will also damage the tubes²

.

Vapers and e-cigarettes are part of the problem

Although smoking-related difficulty having children is a widely studied topic, until recently female infertility was not associated with the use of e-cigarettes and other similar devices such as vapers. The most recent confirmation of this connection comes from a recent British scientific study.³, who concluded that women who smoke have lower ovarian reserve. Across all age groups, the fertility status of women who vaped was much further from optimal values ​​than those who did not vape.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), quitting smoking reduces the likelihood of impotence, difficulty conceiving, premature birth, low birth weight babies, or abortion.⁴. In short, tobacco use not only affects your own health, but also the health of those around you. More and more people are becoming aware of this, and in recent decades, measures such as creating smoke-free environments have greatly reduced the negative impact of this habit. However, the best solution is to nip the problem in the bud and start by completely quitting smoking.

References:

1 NHS Annual Report 2020-21. Tobacco use

2 Spanish Fertility Society. Decalogue to improve your fertility.

3 O’Neill, H. et al. (2024). The effect of smoking and vaping on markers of ovarian hormonal reserve in women of reproductive age in the United Kingdom. University College London. https://profiles.ucl.ac.uk/24644-helen-o’neill/publications

4 World Health Organization (WHO). Tobacco: the health benefits of quitting (who.int)

Fountain: Dare