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Smoking and reproductive life

The impact of smoking on sexual, reproductive and child health
Board of Science and Education and Tobacco Control Resource Centre
February 2004

This report presents the first focused overview of the impact of smoking on sexual, reproductive and child health in the United Kingdom.

It considers active and passive smoking by both men and women, and summarises the impact on sexual health, conception and pregnancy, as well as effects on the reproductive system.

The impact of smoking on infant and child health is also considered.

The benefits of smoking cessation are presented. The current situation in the UK with regard to both active and passive smoking throughout the life-course is outlined, and the potential impact of smoking prevention and cessation on alleviating the burden of illness highlighted.

The report frames smoking as an important consideration in sexual, reproductive and child health. It makes recommendations to reduce the burden of sexual, reproductive and childhood ill health caused by tobacco, including recommendations for research, healthcare professionals and public policy.

A hard copy of this report is available from:
BMA science and education department
British Medical Association
BMA House
Tavistock Square
London WC1H 9JP
Email: info.science@bma.org.uk

or:
Tobacco Control Resource Centre
BMA
14 Queen Street
Edinburgh
EH2 1LL
Tel: +44 (0) 131 247 3070
Fax: +44 (0) 131 247 3071
Email: tcrc@bma.org.uk
- Go to the Tobacco Control Resource Centre website here

Editorial Board
A publication from the BMA science and education department and the Board of Science and Education

• Chairman, Board of Science and Education - Professor Sir David Carter
• Director of professional activities - Dr Vivienne Nathanson
• Head of science and education - Dr Caroline Seddon
• Director, Tobacco Control Resource Centre - Dr Sinéad Jones
• Project managers - Nicky Jayesinghe and Angela Sharpe
• Research and writing - Dr Sinéad Jones
• Research secretariat - Helen Frew; Kerry Jardine; Collette Kelly; Jackie Shuttleworth
• Editorial secretariat - Dalia Ben-Galim; Fleur Conn; Sherri Cooper; Louise Lakey

Board of Science and Education
This resource was prepared under the auspices of the Board of Science and Education of the British Medical Association, whose membership for 2003/2004 was as follows:

• Professor Sir Brian Jarman - President, BMA
• Dr George Rae - Chairman, BMA representative body
• Mr James Johnson - Chairman, BMA council
• Dr David Pickersgill - Treasurer, BMA
• Professor Sir David Carter - Chairman, Board of Science and Education
• Dr P Maguire - Deputy chairman, Board of Science and Education
• Dr P H Dangerfield
• Dr G D Lewis
• Professor S Lingam
• Dr J Long
• Dr S Minkoff
• Dr S J Nelson
• Dr S J Richards
• Dr C Smith
• Dr S J L Smith
• Dr D M B Ward
• Professor B R Hopkinson - Co-optee
• Dr G Buckley - Co-optee
• Dr N D L Olsen - Deputy member

Acknowledgements
The Association is very grateful for the help provided by the BMA committees and many outside experts and organisations. We would particularly like to thank:

Professor Hilary Critchley, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Reproductive and Developmental Sciences, Centre for Reproductive Biology, Edinburgh.

Dr Amanda Amos, Reader in Health Promotion, Public Health Sciences, Division of Community Health Sciences, University of Edinburgh Medical School, Teviot Place, Edinburgh.

Professor Jonathan M Samet MD MS, Chairman, Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.