How Quitting Smoking Affects Fertility
A clear UK guide to how quitting smoking improves fertility for men and women, with the recovery timeline.
The short answer
It helps. Quitting smoking improves fertility for both men and women.
How fast
Much improves within about three months.
The point
Most of the damage is reversible, so it is worth quitting.
How quitting smoking affects fertility
Quitting smoking is one of the best things you can do for fertility. Smoking harms both male and female fertility, though much of that damage is reversible. Quitting improves egg and sperm quality and your chances of conceiving, with a lot recovering within about three months. The earlier you stop the better.
It helps to see how it works for both partners. Smoking affects eggs, sperm and the body's wider reproductive health, while stopping lets much of that recover. This page explains how smoking harms fertility, how quitting helps men and women and the timeline to expect.
Let us look at the effect of smoking, the recovery and the timeline.
If you are thinking about starting a family, this is one of the most encouraging reasons to stop. Unlike some of the longer term harms from smoking, the effects on fertility respond quite quickly once you quit, so the benefits can show up within the timescale of trying to conceive.
How smoking harms fertility
Smoking works against conception in several ways. In men it lowers sperm count and quality and raises the risk of erectile problems, while in women it reduces egg quality, affects the womb lining and can make conceiving take longer, so it makes a pregnancy harder to achieve for both partners.
- In men: lower sperm count, poorer quality and more erectile problems.
- In women: reduced egg quality and a harder time with implantation.
- Conceiving: it can take smokers longer to get pregnant.
- Treatment: smoking lowers the success of fertility treatment like IVF.
It affects both partners either way. Secondhand smoke can harm a non-smoking partner's fertility too, so quitting helps whether it is one or both of you who smokes, which is why stopping together gives the best chance.
Quitting as a couple has another advantage beyond the biology. Going through it together makes it easier to stay motivated, to avoid the shared triggers that prompt a cigarette and to support each other through the harder days, all of which improves the odds of both of you staying smoke free.
Fertility recovery after quitting
Illustrative timeline, varies by person.
How quitting helps
The good news is that much of the harm is reversible. For men, sperm quality starts improving soon after quitting and is much healthier within about three months, since sperm take around ninety days to mature, while for women egg quality also tends to recover over a similar period, lifting the odds of conceiving.
Quitting also improves the womb lining and implantation, raises the success of fertility treatment and lowers the risk of miscarriage and pregnancy complications. Stopping before conception, whether that is beforehand or within the first three months of pregnancy, brings the risk of a premature birth back toward that of someone who has never smoked. It does not matter how long you have smoked, since stopping starts to help straight away.
It is worth being realistic too. Quitting is not a guarantee of conception, since fertility depends on many factors, though it removes one of the clearest and most avoidable obstacles. For most couples, taking smoking out of the picture is a meaningful step that improves the overall odds.
Quitting to start a family?
Switching to vaping is far less harmful than smoking and helps you quit. Our starter kits make it simple. Browse the range or ask our team.
The timeline and what to expect
Most of the recovery happens within a few months. Because sperm and eggs take around three months to develop, quitting at least three months before trying to conceive gives the healthiest start, with stopping at any point helping, so the sooner you quit the more you gain.
One thing to keep in mind is that smoking can reduce a woman's egg reserve over time. That part is not reversible, which is another reason to stop sooner rather than later. Even so, the quality of the eggs you have can improve once you quit. If you are trying to conceive or considering fertility treatment, it is well worth talking to your GP or a fertility specialist, who can advise and support you. Nicotine replacement is considered safe to use when trying to conceive if you need help quitting.
- Three months: sperm and egg quality improve over about ninety days.
- Before conceiving: quitting three months ahead gives the best start.
- Any time helps: stopping starts to improve fertility straight away.
- Get support: a GP or fertility specialist can advise and help.
Does vaping affect fertility?
Research into vaping and fertility is still developing, so the picture is less complete than it is for smoking. What is clear is that the thousands of toxins in cigarette smoke do much of the damage to eggs and sperm, so switching away from smoking removes those.
For an adult who smokes and wants to conceive, moving off cigarettes is the priority, with vaping being one tool that can help. The ideal goal when trying for a baby is to be free of nicotine altogether, so a stop smoking service or your GP can help you plan a route that suits your situation and timing.
If you want to dig deeper, see our explainer on how quitting affects circulation. It pairs well with our guide on the long-term benefits of quitting and our look at whether it is ever too late to quit.
For the full set of guides, the quit smoking hub brings everything together in one place.
The bottom line: quitting smoking improves fertility for both men and women, with sperm and egg quality recovering over about three months and the odds of conceiving rising. It also improves the womb lining, lifts fertility treatment success and lowers miscarriage risk. Quitting three months before trying to conceive gives the best start, though stopping at any time helps. A GP or fertility specialist can support you.
Quitting for fertility?
Switching from smoking to vaping is far less harmful and helps you quit. Our vape starter kits make it simple to get started. You can also speak to the Vape Chaos team, plus a stop smoking service.
Frequently asked questions
How does quitting smoking affect fertility?
Quitting improves fertility for both men and women. Smoking harms sperm and egg quality and makes conceiving harder, though much of that damage is reversible. After quitting, sperm and egg quality tend to recover over about three months, the womb lining improves, fertility treatment is more likely to succeed and the chances of conceiving rise.
How long does it take for fertility to improve after quitting?
Much of the recovery happens within about three months, because sperm and eggs take around ninety days to develop. Quitting at least three months before trying to conceive gives the healthiest start. That said, stopping at any point helps, since the body begins to recover straight away, whatever stage you are at.
Does smoking affect male fertility?
Yes. Smoking can lower sperm count and quality and makes erectile problems more likely, all of which reduce the chance of conception. The good news is that sperm production is ongoing, so quitting starts to improve sperm quality soon after, with much healthier sperm within about three months whatever how long you have smoked.
Can quitting reverse all the effects of smoking on fertility?
Quitting reverses a great deal, including sperm and egg quality and the chances of conceiving. One part that is not reversible is the reduction in a woman's egg reserve over time, which is a reason to stop sooner rather than later. Even so, the quality of the eggs that remain can improve once you quit.
Is it safe to use nicotine replacement when trying to conceive?
Nicotine replacement is considered safe to use when trying to conceive if you need help to quit, since it contains only nicotine and none of the other harmful chemicals found in cigarettes. It is far better than continuing to smoke. If you are trying to conceive, your GP or a stop smoking service can help you choose the right support.
