Cigarette smoking, menstrual symptoms and miscarriage among young women

Objective: To examine associations between cigarette smoking and menstrual symptoms and miscarriage among young women. Method: The study sample consists of 14,779 women aged 18-23 years who part icipated in the mailed baseline survey for the Australian Longitudinal Stud y on Women's Health, conducted in 1996. The main outcome measures are self reported menstrual symptoms and miscarriages. Results: Current smokers and ex-smokers had an increased risk of menstrual symptoms and miscarriages compared with women who had never smoked, with th e highest risk occurring in heavy smokers (adjusted odds ratios for those s moking greater than or equal to 20 cigarettes per day: premenstrual tension 1.5 (95% confidence interval 1.3 to 1.7), irregular periods 1.5 (1.3 to 1. 8), heavy periods 1.6 (1.4 to 1.9), severe period pain 1.5 (1.4 to 1.7), on e or more miscarriages 2.0 (1.5 to 2.8), The odds ratios generally increase d with numbers of cigarettes smoked and a younger age of starting to smoke. Conclusion: This study suggests that young women who smoke are at higher ri sk of a range of menstrual problems and miscarriage than those who have nev er smoked. The immediacy of this risk (in contrast to the longer term risks of chronic disease) can be used to improve the relevance of anti-smoking c ampaigns targeted to young women.