Smoking can reduce fertility in both women, men: WHO

Smoking may reduce the chances of conceiving for both women and men, while second-hand smoke can also pose reproductive risks, the World Health Organization (WHO) said Tuesday.

In a new knowledge summary, WHO said tobacco use is associated with infertility in women and harmful effects on sperm and sexual function in men.

A review of studies conducted between 2000 and 2026 found that women who currently smoke have a 40% higher risk of infertility compared with non-smokers. Those who had quit smoking may have a 25% lower risk compared with women who continue smoking.

For men, a review of 44 studies involving more than 60,000 people linked smoking to reproductive problems, including semen abnormalities, erectile dysfunction, and ejaculation problems.

Smoking may also reduce the effectiveness of assisted reproduction, including in vitro fertilization, with research suggesting successful outcomes could be roughly halved.

Globally, one in six people of reproductive age experience infertility at some point in their lifetime, according to the UN health agency.