Your Reproductive Health: The Damage From Smoking
Five reproductive health risks associated with lighting up

By Stacey Colino

In addition to being responsible for about 90 percent of lung cancer deaths in women, smoking can harm a woman’s reproductive health. It’s widely known that smoking while taking oral contraceptives after age 35 can increase a woman’s risk of having a heart attack, a stroke or blood clots, but this is just the tip of the iceberg. Here are five other reproductive health risks associated with lighting up.

Fertility problems - “Women who smoke tend to have shorter cycles—their periods are closer together—and may have a more difficult time getting pregnant,” notes Sharon T. Phelan, M.D., a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. “And women who undergo in vitro fertilization have more trouble with implantation if they smoke.” There’s also an increased risk of miscarriage associated with smoking.

Pregnancy-related complications - Women who smoke during pregnancy have an increased risk of preterm delivery and of having a low birth-weight baby. “Children who are born to mothers who smoke before and after pregnancy are at an increased risk of SIDS, upper respiratory infections, ear infections, allergies and asthma,” Dr. Phelan adds.

Cervical cancer - Smoking can increase the risk of cervical cancer because the chemicals from cigarettes may impair the cervix’s cellular repair system, making it harder for the body to fight off the HPV infection, the leading cause of cervical cancer, Dr. Phelan explains. “Most women are exposed to HPV but can clear their bodies of it.”

Incontinence - “Nicotine may decrease the thickness and elasticity of the skin—and it may be doing the same thing to the connective tissue in the pelvic floor,” Dr. Phelan says. In addition, a smoker’s chronic cough may weaken the pelvic floor.

Earlier menopause - “Women who smoke have earlier menopause by an average of two years,” Dr. Phelan says. This could be because the chemicals in cigarettes may be toxic to a woman’s eggs, or because smokers use up their eggs faster due to shorter cycles. It also could be because smoking heavily is associated with lower estrogen levels.

The Solution - Kick the habit and stay cigarette-free. Some women fear gaining weight if they quit smoking. You can keep those extra pounds off if you combine quitting with an exercise regimen. Not only will you feel better, you’ll be lowering your risk for all these problems as well as heart disease, lung cancer and other life-threatening conditions.

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