When we talk about the effects of smoking, we tend to think about the lungs, the heart, cancer… But very rarely do we mention something that, for many men, is also vital: their fertility and sperm. Smoking affects not only general health, but also the ability to have children.
In recent years, numerous studies have confirmed what many specialists already suspected: smoking seriously damages sperm quality. And if you or your partner are looking to get pregnant, this can be a major obstacle.
Imagine that your body is a factory. Every day it produces millions of sperm, which have a single mission: to reach the egg and fertilise it. But this factory is sensitive. It needs optimal conditions: good health, nutrients, rest… and yes, it also needs to be free of toxins.
effects of tobacco on fertility
Smoking introduces thousands of chemicals, many of them toxic, into the body. According to a review published in Frontiers in Endocrinology (Kleshchevnikov et al., 2023), male smokers have lower sperm concentration, lower motility and more morphological alterations. In addition, smoking can damage sperm DNA.
The damage depends on several factors: how many cigarettes are smoked per day, for how long, the man’s general health… But even occasional smokers can have their fertility affected. In a study published in Nature Reviews Urology (Kovac et al., 2022), men who smoked more than 10 cigarettes a day were found to have a significant decrease in semen volume and overall sperm quality.
oxidative stress and tobacco
One of the reasons why smoking damages sperm so much is because of so-called ‘oxidative stress’. Cells are attacked by molecules called free radicals. The body has natural defences to fight them, but smoking weakens these defences. This not only affects the motility or number of sperm, but directly damages their genetic material. According to Dutta et al. (2023), zinc levels were significantly lower in smokers, accompanied by more sperm DNA fragmentation.
Here comes the good news: quitting smoking can make a difference. Sperm are constantly being renewed, so when smoking is eliminated from the body, the next “litters” of sperm are often healthier. In many men, the negative effects start to reverse in about three months.
anti-smoking advice
Fertility is not just a medical issue: it is also a deeply emotional one. Many couples facing difficulty conceiving feel frustration, sadness, or even guilt. That’s why talking about tobacco is not just about numbers or percentages. It’s about giving people real tools to make choices that can change their future.
The American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM, 2023) recommends that all men seeking to become pregnant with their partner seriously consider quitting tobacco. In addition, it suggests that physicians include anti-smoking counselling as part of the approach to male infertility.
Male fertility is not always taken as seriously as female fertility, but it is just as important. And smoking, although common and legal, is one of the most damaging factors to male reproductive health.
Smoking damages sperm, reduces fertility and increases the risks to the future baby. But quitting smoking also has immense power: the power to restore health, improve sperm quality and give you a better chance of fatherhood.
Sometimes changing a habit can change a life.
References
- Kleshchevnikov, A. M., et al. (2023). Effects of cigarette smoking on semen quality, reproductive hormone levels, and metabolic profile. Frontiers in Endocrinology.
- Kovac, J. R., et al. (2022). Sperm concentration and semen volume increase after smoking cessation. Nature Reviews Urology.
- Dutta, S. S., et al. (2023). Smoking induces a decline in semen quality and activation of stress response pathways. Antioxidants.
- American Society for Reproductive Medicine (2023). Tobacco or marijuana use and infertility: a committee opinion.
