Doctors have known for a long time that smoking is associated with infertility and early menopause. But the impact of secondhand smoke has been unclear.
A new study published in the journal Tobacco Control shows that even passive exposure to smoke seems to have detrimental effects on a woman’s ability to conceive. The study also reports that secondhand smoke may lead to early menopause, before the age of 50.
“Although quitting smoking can be very difficult,” Mayo Clinic reproductive and infertility expert Dr. Jani Jensen said, “the motivation to become pregnant and have a healthy pregnancy may help some women … quit using tobacco. Similarly, this new study may be motivating even to partners to quit tobacco use to reduce the risks of secondhand smoke on pregnancy.”
Although the researchers did not explore how secondhand smoke impacts fertility and menopause, Jensen said one theory behind the menopause issue is that early onset is the result of accelerated loss of healthy eggs.
