According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 18.3 percent of adult women in the United States currently smoke cigarettes. Additional reports note that in 2007 approximately 20 percent of high school students in the United States ---of which 19 percent were females---were current cigarette smokers. Though the general effects of smoking tobacco are universal, women may be at a higher risk for developing certain side effects.
Cancer
The American Cancer Society (ACS) notes that tobacco use is responsible for approximately one-third of all cancer deaths. In women, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death, making it more common than breast cancer. In addition to lung cancer, the ACS states that smoking also increases the risk a women will develop other types of cancer, including oral, cervical, bladder or pancreatic cancer.
Heart Disease or Stroke
Heart disease is the leading cause of death for women in the United States, according to the American Heart Association. The CDC states that smoking narrows the blood vessels, which causes reduced blood circulation throughout the body. Women who smoke are at an increased risk for developing both heart disease and stroke. The ACS notes that women who take oral birth control pills in addition to smoking may be at an even higher risk of developing heart disease.
Lung Damage
The CDC notes that smoking can damage the airways and small air sacs (called alveoli) within the lungs. Such damage can lead to the development of a number of respiratory diseases in women, including chronic emphysema, bronchitis and chronic airway obstruction---conditions that are collectively referred to as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). According to the ACS, women older than age 35 who smoke are almost 13 times more likely than non-smokers to die from respiratory diseases such as emphysema or bronchitis.
Reproductive Problems
Women who smoke are at an increased risk of developing medical issues related to reproductive health or pregnancy. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, women who smoke during pregnancy are at risk for placenta previa or abruption. Placenta previa is a condition in which the placenta grows too close to the opening of the uterus, and requires that the baby be delivered by cesarean section. Placental abruption occurs when the placenta separates from the wall of the uterus earlier than it should, resulting in early delivery or infant death. Smoking during pregnancy may also cause damage to an infant's lungs or can lead to low birth weight in some infants.
Additional Health Problems
The CDC also notes that women who smoke are more likely to have lower bone density, which may increase their risk of developing osteoporosis after menopause. This increases a woman's risk of hip fracture or broken bones. Women who smoke are also at a higher risk of developing cataracts and age-related macular degeneration, which can cause blindness, according to the ACS.
