Researchers have reported the detrimental effect of cigarette smoking on male fertility (18, 19, 20). Nicotine exposure reduces the weight of the testis and the number of spermatocytes and spermatids. Nicotine also affects the testosterone level, pituitary gonadotropins, and testicular antioxidant status.
Lower Sperm Quality in Males
Vaping has also been known to reduce sperm quality, count, and motility in males. The lack of quality sperm production makes egg fertilization nearly impossible for couples hoping to conceive. And it doesn't end there.
Two previous studies that followed men up to 12 months after smoking cessation found that semen quality was markedly improved. Sperm development takes approximately 70–90 days in humans and all of our former smokers had quit more than 6 months before semen collection.
It doesn't matter how long a man has smoked for. As soon as he stops smoking, his sperm will become healthier. It takes about three months for sperm to mature. Men who quit at least three months before conception will have much healthier sperm with a greater chance of fertilising an egg, and creating a healthy baby.
Research shows that: Smoking can reduce fertility,1 making it difficult to conceive. Smoking may negatively affect hormone production. Smoking and exposure to tobacco smoke can harm the reproductive system.
Without research on the long-term effects of vaping, it's unknown how much it can impact a person's fertility. Research already shows that if you smoke cigarettes, you're more likely to experience fertility problems and take longer to conceive.
Smoking Increases Testosterone Early On
Some research suggests smoking may increase testosterone in the short term. A study of more than 3,000 men published in the International Journal of Andrology found a positive correlation between smoking and increased testosterone levels.
In a more recent analysis, sperm motility decreased by 5.25% among smokers compared to non-smokers. Another retrospective study including 715 men identified a significant effect of smoking more than ten cigarettes per day in patients with varicocele on sperm motility.
Paternal smoking is linked to increased risk of congenital heart defects.
Our study showed that smoking cessation may improve semen quality and reduce the number of patients with abnormal parameters by improving semen volume, sperm concentration and total sperm count. Therefore, infertile patients should be strongly advised to quit smoking before any treatment.
Dr. Vij: Medical evidence shows that the more you smoke, the worse it is for a man's sperm count, sperm concentrations, motility (how they swim) and shape (main parameters of semen test). It has been shown that 20 cigarettes a day is much worse for fertility than the occasional cigarette.
While a few cups of coffee, tea, or cola aren't known to have an impact on the father's fertility, caffeine in excessive amounts, such as that found in 4-6 cups of coffee per day (400 mg) or more can lower sperm counts.
Alcohol consumption in men can also cause difficulties with fertility. Some studies on long-term, heavy alcohol use have reported reduced gonadotropin release, testicular atrophy, and decreased testosterone and sperm production [48].
Researchers3 did find an increased risk of birth defects in the children of male smokers, as well as an increased risk of cancer. This may be related to damage to sperm DNA. One study3 looked at the sperm DNA of smokers and non-smokers.
If you smoke while you are pregnant you are at increased risk of a wide range of problems, including miscarriage and premature labour. Babies whose mothers smoke during pregnancy are at higher risk of sudden unexpected death in infancy (SUDI), having weaker lungs and having an unhealthy low birth weight.
Smoking doubles your risk of abnormal bleeding during pregnancy and delivery. This can put both you and your baby in danger. Smoking raises your baby's risk for birth defects, including cleft lip, cleft palate, or both. A cleft is an opening in your baby's lip or in the roof of her mouth (palate).
Testosterone levels in males may be lower than in nonsmokers. Vaping nicotine reduces the length of time for male fertility. So, you have a shorter time than other men to have a child.
Consistent with the hypothesis that cotinine, a metabolite of nicotine in cigarettes, may competitively inhibit androgen breakdown, and thus increase androgens, smoking was associated with higher testosterone among men and possibly women.
Is there a safer way to get nicotine? Yes. You can get clean nicotine in a nicotine patch, gum, nasal spray, lozenge, or inhaler; these products don't have tar.
Turns out, nicotine itself is a problem. It significantly lowers sperm count, sperm motility, sperm viability, and increases the percent of sperm with abnormal morphology (Budin 2017). It also reduces the weight of the testes, testosterone level, and testicular antioxidant status (Erat 2007).
It found exposure to nicotine was correlated with reduced sperm count, sperm motility, sperm viability, and increased the amount of sperm with abnormal morphology.
The results showed that stressful work periods negatively affect semen volume and the percentage of progressive spermatozoa. These had an adverse impact on semen quality and fertility.