Women's Health and Smoking

Women smokers suffer all the consequences of smoking that men do such as increased risk of various cancers (lung, mouth, larynx, pharynx, esophagus, kidney, pancreas, kidney, and bladder) and respiratory diseases.

Women who smoke are at higher risk for a number of serious health problems, including heart disease and lung cancer than women who don't smoke. What's more, women smokers are 12 times more likely to die from lung cancer than women who do not smoke, and they're ten times more likely to die from bronchitis and emphysema. While the lives of all women smokers are at risk, post-menopausal women and women on birth-control pills lead the pack in succumbing to smoking-related diseases that can go on to cause death.

Some studies have revealed that women might be more susceptible to the addictive properties of nicotine and have a slower metabolic clearance of nicotine from their bodies than men. Also, women seem to be more susceptible to the effects of tobacco carcinogens than men.

The risk of heart attack, stroke and other cardiovascular diseases in women is increased by approximately tenfold if they both smoke and use oral contraceptives. Women smokers who use oral contraceptives risk serious consequences including increased risk of developing cardiovascular diseases such as blood clots, heart attacks, and strokes. This risk increases with age and women over 35 who smoke should not use oral contraceptives.

Smoking increases the chances of sudden infant death syndrome, infant and prenatal deaths, learning disorders, attention deficit disorder and disruptive behavior. Chemicals in tobacco are passed from pregnant mothers through the blood stream to the fetus. These toxic chemicals present serious risks to the unborn child, as well as the mother. Smoking during pregnancy is associated with preterm delivery, low birth weight, premature rupture of membranes, placenta previa, miscarriage, and neonatal death. Newborns whose mothers smoked during pregnancy have the same nicotine levels in their bloodstream's as adults who smoke, and they go through withdrawal during their first days of life. Babies born to women who smoke are on average 200 grams lighter than babies born to comparable non-smoking mothers.

Further, Women who smoke may have reduced fertility. Studies found that 38% of non-smokers conceived in their first cycle compared with 28% of smokers. It was estimated that the fertility of smoking women was 72% that of non-smokers. Cigarette smoking can also affect male-fertility; spermatozoa from smokers are found to be decreased in density and motility compared with that of non-smokers.