Tobacco consumption increasing infertility in Indian women

Strange are the reasons why women in India smoke. Although majority of them are aware that consuming tobacco (chewing and smoking) might pose a threat to fertility and several other health issues, but the rising trend and change in lifestyle are making them addicted to it. There is a reason to worry for tobacco intakers in the national capital now, as the Delhi Government has decided to impose a blanket ban on the sale, manufacturing, distribution and storage of gutka products.

According to Oncologists and Gynecologists, 20 per cent of Indian women are addicted to tobacco. Appreciating the Delhi government’s decision, Dr. Richa Sharma, Consultant- Infertility and In Vitro Fertilisation at Fortis Hospital said, “The intake of tobacco not only makes it difficult to give birth to a healthy baby, but also for women to conceive. Every four women in India are addicted to smoking. In Delhi, women hesitate to disclose that they smoke because of several reasons as compared to Bangalore.”

Women who work in shifts especially at night are reported to smoke heavily to keep up with the work pressure. However, it is not only the work shifts that are making them addicted but also among the college goers who turns to be chain smokers under peer pressure.

While speaking to TSI, Roshni, (name changed) a lawyer, but now not in practice said, “I started smoking when I was in 12th standard and found it cool. I used to smoke around 20-25 cigarettes a day. It led to severe respiratory problems. I was later detected with polycystic ovaries which made it difficult for me to conceive initially. Later, because of my past smoking records I had a miscarriage.”

The women who have never smoked are 2.7 times more likely to get pregnant with IVF than the smokers. Dr Sharma added, “Intake of tobacco (in the form of pan masalas, gutkas, cigarettes etc) leads to malformed baby, followed by several difficulties in the pre- natal period. At times the situation exacerbates to a point where the foetus need to get aborted.”

According to the recent study by Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA), women who were “heavy smokers” (above 35 years and takes more than 25 cigarettes a day) and who had started smoking before the age of 18 has a 25 per cent higher risk of breast cancer compared to non smokers.

Heavy smoking women are likely to reach menopause early.

Dr Gagan Saini, Consultant- Radiation oncology said, “Almost every cancer patient that we have here are smokers. The patients here come mostly for breast and lung cancer.”

Speaking to TSI, IVF Expert Dr. Shivani Sachdev Gaur, Director Surrogacy Centre India and Healthcare and ISIS Hospital said, “Due to heavy intake of tobacco among women in their 20s, their egg quality has become poor and they need egg donation. It also led to irregular menstruation cycle. There are 5-6 patients every week because of the same.”

The reasons to smoke are as varied as its ill effects. Welcoming the Delhi government’s decision, Nikunj Sharma of Health Related Information Dissemination amongst Youth (Hriday) Shan, an NGO that is working for last 20 years against tobacco consumption said, “Our recent campaign is on ‘regulating depiction of tobacco usage in Indian cinema’. The movies like Fashion, Heroine and Raaz 3 where the lead actresses are shown smoking had a tremendous impact on the young women, who are fixated with their intricacies, started emulating them as they found it trendy and cool. It should be ban in the entire country.”

Ten states in India- Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Haryana, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Goa- have already banned gutka and its products.

The increasing smoke graph amongst young women can be receded by cutting down smoking. While it is too early to celebrate on the attempt initiated by the Delhi Government, yet this move is likely to catapult the hidden concerns in every young woman and encourage them to adopt preventive measures before it gets too late.