Smoking Has a Negative Impact on Male Fertility
The team at the Center for Fertility and Gynecology has helped countless men and women throughout the greater Los Angeles area, offering state-of-the-art fertility treatments and infertility services. Whether dealing with female factor or male factor infertility, we work tirelessly to help people have the families of their dreams.
Since general health can impact reproductive health, we want to focus on how smoking can affect male fertility. It's just another reason to quit (or not start in the first place).
Smoking Causes Numerous Health and Wellness Issues
It's a well known fact that smoking can result in many serious issues that affect your health and wellness. In addition to increasing your risk for lung disease and various cancers, smoking has been linked to high blood pressure, heart disease, dental health issues, and a negative overall impact on your general health.
Given how various parts of the body are interlinked, it should come as no surprise that smoking can also cause a number of problems with fertility.
Smoking Makes It More Difficult to Conceive Naturally
When one or both members of a couple smoke, it can lead to delays in natural conception. Studies have shown that it can take additional months for a couple to conceive even if they are otherwise healthy. This delay can be discouraging and frustrating to those who wish to have a family.
Smoking Can Lower Your Sperm Count
Part of the delay mentioned above is linked to the effects of smoking on sperm count. Men who smoke have a lower overall sperm count compared to men who don't smoke. This lowers the chances of successful fertilization of an egg. But there's more to this matter than just sperm count.
Smoking Can Results in Poor Sperm Motility
In addition to lowering your sperm count, smoking can also cause issued with sperm motility. This refers to the ability for the sperm to swim properly, which is important for locating and fertilizing the egg.
Smoking Can Lead to Problems with Sperm Morphology
In addition to impacting sperm count and sperm motility, smoking can also lead to issues with the morphology of the sperm. This refers to the overall shape of the sperm. When a man smokes, his sperm may have a small or large head, multiple heads, a long or short tail, or even multiple tails. This affects sperm motility, and can potentially increase the risk of birth defects as well.
Smoking Doubles the Risk of Erectile Dysfunction
Studies have shown that smokers are twice as likely to experience erectile dysfunction as non-smokers, which makes it less likely for men to engage in sexual activity or maintain and erection long enough to achieve orgasm. The impacts on male fertility are obvious, and compounded when one takes into account the other matters above.
Smoking Can Even Have a Negative Impact on Fertility Treatments
Even when working with fertility specialists, smoking has shown to be a hindrance. Men and women who smoke can make treatments such as in vitro fertilization (IVF) less successful, requiring additional cycles in order to achieve pregnancy.
Get Help Quitting for the Sake of Your Future and Your Child's
Given all of the problems linked to smoking and men's health, it's important that would-be fathers consider quitting for good. You won't just boost your chances of having a child, but you'll help ensure that you are healthy enough to see your child grow and mature into adulthood. Your general practitioner will have many resources that can help you quit the habit for good.
Contact the Center for Fertility and Gynecology
To learn more about treating male factor and female factor infertility, be sure to contact team of fertility specialists today. The team here at the Center for Fertility and Gynecology will work with you and offer numerous solutions to consider so you can have the family of your dreams.