New York, Sept. 8 (Petra) - Smoking impairs fertility for both men and women worldwide, a critical threat, given that one in six people globally will face infertility in their lifetime, World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Tuesday.

A new WHO report links tobacco use to severe reproductive harms, including impaired sperm quality, sexual dysfunction in men, and reduced fertility in women.

The health agency cautioned that secondhand smoke poses similar reproductive risks, exposing non-smokers to involuntary fertility hazards.

A systematic review of studies from 2000 to 2026 revealed female smokers are 40% more likely to experience infertility compared to non-smokers. For men, an analysis of 44 studies covering over 60,000 subjects connected smoking directly to abnormal semen parameters and sexual dysfunction.

Additionally, research across 21 studies showed cigarette smoking slashes live births and successful pregnancies following IVF treatment by nearly half.

While evidence is strongest for traditional cigarettes, the WHO warned other tobacco and nicotine products, including hookahs, also threaten fertility and require further study.

//Petra// HA