Consequences of smoking on reproductive health
(sz) There are no systems of human body spared from the pronged harmful effects of smoking – heart, lungs, brain, blood vessels and what not. But very few of us know about the harmful effect of smoking on our sexual and reproductive health.
Studies carried out on the effect of smoking on male reproductive ability have shown that cigarette smoking is associated with a significant decrease in sperm density, total sperm count, total number of motile sperm and citrate concentration in semen. Besides, smoking has been shown to have deleterious effects on sperm morphology, sperm vitality, and ejaculated volume of semen. The available biologic, experimental, and epidemiological data indicate that up to 13 percent of infertility may be attributable to cigarette smoking.
The poisonous elements of cigarettes can change the sperm morphology which is an important indicator in fertility and fertilization chances are also reduced according to the percentage of sperm affected. It becomes more important for those who have sperm concentration near the lower limit. Smoking has also been found to affect accessory glands of male reproductive system.
Smokers require nearly twice the number of In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) attempts to conceive as nonsmokers. more…
From: »The Daily Star«