Smoke compounds don’t leave women’s bodies after smoking. When women smoke, research shows that nicotine can be found in their cervical mucus.
How smoking cigarettes affects women's v*gina and sexual health
When it comes to women, cigarettes do not only affect their health but their sex life.
Smoking is a dangerous habit [istockphoto]
Here is how cigarettes affect a woman’s vagina and sex life;
Smoking affects fertility
Smoking typically disrupts ovulation. Without a fertilized egg in the uterus, pregnancy is a distant dream.
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In some cases, smoking can lead to in vitro fertilization (babies born outside the womb) because it stops the egg from travelling to the uterus normally.
Smoking causes early menopause
Smoking cigarettes can bring about early menopause.
Chemicals (such as nicotine, cyanide, and carbon monoxide) in cigarette smoke increase the rate at which eggs are lost.
Nicotine also decreases the supply of blood to the ovaries. Because estrogen is produced in the ovaries, a lack of estrogen can make women reach menopause earlier than normal.
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Smoking cigarettes causes bacterial vaginosis
Every vagina has good bacteria or bad bacteria. Smoking causes a change in the bacteria in your vagina from good to bad and that leads to different infections including bacterial vaginosis which causes itching, smelly discharge and odour.
Smoking causes painful periods
Women who smoke have painful premenstrual periods and cramps during their period more than women who don’t smoke.
This is because smoking decreases the amount of oxygen in the uterus.
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Smoking makes women more susceptible to sexually transmitted infection
The vagina needs to be a well-cultured environment, and smoking throws the PH balance off.
Smoking alters the immune profile of the cervix and vagina making their immune system unable to fight infections like the human papillomavirus (HPV).
Finally, no matter the gender, cigarettes are harmful and should be avoided because the health consequences are always dire.
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