Cigarette Smoking and Semen Quality: A New Meta-analysis Examining the Effect of the 2010 World Health Organization Laboratory Methods for the Examination of Human Semen.
Approximately 37% of men of reproductive age smoke cigarettes, with Europe having the highest tobacco use among all the World Health Organization (WHO) regions. Toxins from tobacco smoking can potentially affect sperm development and function, with a negative effect on semen parameters. Given the high prevalence of smoking and recent changes in the WHO laboratory methods for the examination of human semen, the role of this exposure in face of new WHO methods needs to be clarified.