I Used To Smoke - Has It Affected My Fertility?
Got a question for the Women's Health Collective? Send us a DM @womenshealthcollectiveuk and we'll call on our experts. We're getting your questions answered.
Grace from Derby asks:
‘I used to smoke cigarettes and weed. Has it affected my fertility?'
Expert: Dr Sheeva Talebian, an NYC-based fertility specialist.
If we’re talking about a few puffs on the odd night out and the occasional toke on a joint, it's unlikely to have done lasting damage to your prospect of conceiving naturally. But if you lit up regularly, the science is a little murkier.
‘Current cigarette smokers take longer to get pregnant, have increased complications and have lower pregnant rates after fertility treatments,’ explains Dr Sheeva Talebian, an NYC-based fertility specialist.
As for women who used to smoke? ‘These same findings are noted, but to a less degree.’ It’s also known that smoking accelerates the rate of egg loss.
As for cannabis use, a lack of research means that we don’t know as much about the fertility consequences. ‘But I think it’s very likely we’ll find a negative impact similar to that of tobacco, as smoking marijuana exposes you to some of the same toxins,’ says Dr Talebian.
That your reproductive organs are exposed to everything you ingest and inhale means you can’t totally erase the consequences. That said, try not to self-flagellate. The important thing is that you have quit, and by doing so, you’ve exercised significant damage control. Now, focus on the other lifestyle changes you can make in order to boost your fertility.
You Might Also Like
