Recreational drug use and the risk of primary infertility
Abstract
Recreational drug (marijuana, lysergic acid diethylamide or LSD, speed, cocaine, and "other") exposures of women with primary infertility were compared with those of a matched control group of women with proven fertility. Women who reported smoking marijuana had a slightly elevated risk for infertility due to an ovulatory abnormality (RR = 1.7, 95% CI = 1.0 to 3.0). The risk was greatest among women who had used marijuana within one year of trying to become pregnant (RR = 2.1, 95% CI = 1.1 to 4.0). No consistent frequency or duration of use effects could be demonstrated, and the risk was confined to low-frequency users. Risks associated with the use of other drugs were not elevated. The risk of infertility from a tubal abnormality associated with cocaine use was greatly increased (RR = 11.1, 95% CI = 1.7 to 70.8). Our results are consistent with animal studies suggesting that smoking marijuana may cause a transient disruption of ovulatory function. The possibility that cocaine exposure influences the development of tubal infertility needs further investigation.
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Non-prescription and recreational drug use before conception is associated with reduced fertility in men and women.
“The use of non-prescription and recreational drugs before conception has been associated with reduced fertility in both men and women (Frey 2008, Fronczak 2012, Mueller 1990).”
From Preconception lifestyle advice for people with infertility (2021) · cites this paper as Mueller 1990
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Taylor, A. H., Amoako, A. A., Bambang, K., Karasu, T., Gebeh, A., Lam, P. M. W., Marzcylo, T. H., & Konje, J. C. (2010) · Clinica Chimica Acta · doi:10.1016/j.cca.2010.03.012 · Cited by 89 · see citing works
Preconception lifestyle advice for people with subfertility
Anderson, K., Norman, R. J., & Middleton, P. (2010) · Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews · doi:10.1002/14651858.cd008189.pub2 · Cited by 85 · see citing works
Preconception lifestyle advice for people with infertility
Boedt, T., Vanhove, A.-C., Vercoe, M. A., Matthys, C., Dancet, E., & Lie Fong, S. (2021) · Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews · doi:10.1002/14651858.cd008189.pub3 · Cited by 66 · see citing works
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- Authors
- Mueller, B. A., Daling, J. R., Weiss, N. S., & Moore, D. E.
- Affiliations
- University of Washington (US)
- Venue
- Epidemiology
- Published
- 1990-05
- Volume
- 1
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 195-200
- ISSN
- 1044-3983 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2015278326
- Cited by
- 168
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2025: 6 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 9 · 2021: 9 · 2020: 59 · 2019: 1 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 6 · 2015: 1 · 2014: 4 · 2013: 5 · 2012: 8
- FWCI
- 0.90
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Epidemiology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (1 N01 HD 02821, 1 R23 HD 215128-01)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Reproductive Medicine › Reproductive Health and Technologies
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health › Prenatal Substance Exposure Effects
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pharmacology › Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research
- Keywords
- recreational drug use, primary infertility, cannabis, cocaine, ovulatory dysfunction, tubal infertility, lysergic acid diethylamide, speed, smoking, female fertility
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Body Temperature, Marijuana Abuse, Cocaine, Data Collection, Fallopian Tube Diseases, Female, Humans, Infertility, Female, Ovulation, Risk Factors, Illicit Drugs, Time Factors, Substance-Related Disorders
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