Smoking May Affect Fertility in Men and Women, Study Finds

A new scientific study has revealed that smoking may affect the reproductive capacity of both men and women. According to researchers, exposure to cigarette smoke can cause changes in biological processes involved in reproduction and alter gene activity. Scientists from the University of Nottingham and the University of Sheffield in the United Kingdom conducted a study involving male and female mice exposed to cigarette smoke. The researchers examined changes in their genes to better understand how smoking may affect reproductive health in both sexes.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately one in every six people worldwide experiences infertility at some point in their lives. Although a link between smoking and reduced fertility has already been identified, further research is still needed to understand the full effects of smoking on the reproductive system. Published in the scientific journal Frontiers, the study examined the effects of exposing mice to low and high doses of cigarette smoke extract over a period of 12 weeks. According to the researchers, the findings could help improve understanding of how smoking affects reproductive health. However, since the experiments were conducted on mice, further research is necessary before the results can be applied to humans.