Smoking damages fertility

NCCRM Cigarettes and lighter
It’s common knowledge that smoking cigarettes is bad for your health. Typically, anti-smoking public service announcements focus on the negative pulmonary and vascular effects of smoking.

However, recent research has implicated cigarette smoke in causing infertility.

Below is a list of effects that experts believe results from exposure to cigarette smoke:

Damage to the cervix and fallopian tubes;
DNA damage to eggs;
Increase in miscarriage and ectopic pregnancies;
Early menopause due to premature aging of the ovary;
Maternal smoking may damage fetal ovaries.

Most experts believe that cessation of smoking can reverse these effects. Therefore, it’s never too late to quit!

Sameh Toma

Dr. Sameh K. Toma, M.D.

Medical Director

Dr. Sameh K. Toma, M.D., F.A.C.O.G. is the Medical Director at the North Carolina Center for Reproductive Medicine (NCCRM), bringing over 30 years of specialized experience in reproductive medicine to patients in the Raleigh area. After earning his Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from North Carolina State University, he completed his medical degree and residency at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine.