Thought is also given that chemicals in tobacco may alter the cervical fluid, making it toxic to sperm causing pregnancy to be difficult to achieve. We can't leave the men out on this one, though. Some of the toxic chemicals found in cigarettes may result in gene mutations that can cause miscarriage, birth defects, cancer, and other health problems in their children. PID is a painful disease that requires immediate medical intervention and is often a contributing factor in ectopic pregnancies, as well as pelvic adhesions and other fertility problems. Beginning to smoke as a teenager increases a woman's risk of early menopause three times.
Smokers often notice symptoms of menopause two to three years earlier than nonsmokers.
Menstrual abnormalities and early menopause may be caused by a toxic effect on the ovaries or by the significantly lower levels of estrogens noted in many studies of women smokers. Estrogen replacement therapy provides beneficial protection, to post menopausal women against the risk of heart disease and osteoporosis. But these benefits are many times negated by the increased health risks associated with smoking while taking hormones . Women who smoke face a serious increased risk of developing cardiovascular diseases such as heart attack and stroke when using estrogens. This risk should be discussed with your physician before beginning hormone replacement therapy , if you are a smoker.