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PART 2 CHAPTER VIII
2.8.1.
Environmental Factors Available research data clearly indicates that some environmental factors, such as chemicals and radiation exposure, vehicle exhaust, certain occupations might cause infertility, miscarriage and congenital birth defects. Risk of infertility increased in females who reported exposures to textile dyes, dry cleaning chemicals, noise, lead, and mercury and cadmium. Women working in rubber, plastics or synthetics industry had a 90% greater chance of stillbirth. In this survey sample about 7% of the respondents believed that they have been exposed to environmental and/or occupational hazards at their homes or workplace. However, the majority (91%) supposed that they live and work in a safe environment (Figure 2.8.1.).
2.8.2.
Alcohol and Drug Abuse There are several studies showing that women who combine the use of alcohol and marijuana may greatly reduce their chance of conceiving. According to the survey results about 0.5% of respondents and 9% of male partners were excessive alcohol users. Eight percent of respondents and 24% of male partners used alcohol beverages excessively only on occasion (Figure 2.8.2.). Two women (0.1%) among these survey respondents admitted occasional use of narcotics. The partners of 18 women (1.3%) used narcotics regularly and of 10 women (0.7%), occasionally (Table 2.8.1.).
More
than 10% of the women reported long-term use of medicine for different
health-related problems and more than 9% mentioned that their spouses or
partners were doing the same. Among mentioned medicines were sedatives,
tranquilizers and antidepressant, which are known as mood-altering
drugs.
2.8.3.
Smoking Research data indicates that smoking is harmful for reproductive health. Especially passive smoking (exposure to the cigarette smoke of others) is a serious health risk for both sexes. In this study 38% of female non-smokers conceived in their first cycle of attempted pregnancy compared to 28% of smokers. More than 4% of the female resplendence and 68% of their partners were regular smokers (Figure 2.8.3.). Thus, in this study a significantly larger proportion of women admitted to be smokers as compared to the responses of male respondents from the survey in men (4.5% versus 2%).
On
the average, each woman smokes from 8 to 9 cigarettes per day (Mean =
8.5 ±1.06) and each man smokes about 1 pack of cigarette per day
(Mean=21.1± 10.46 cigarettes). It should be noted that these results
were surprisingly similar to the data obtained from the survey in men.
Taking into the consideration the price of cigarettes in the Armenian market and proportion of smokers among the couples of reproductive age, it may be calculated that each woman spend about 4 US$ per month and about 48 US$ per year for buying cigarettes. On the country level Armenian women spend about 144000 US$ per month or 1728000 US$ per year on cigarettes (supposing that there are approximately 800000 women of reproductive age in Armenia, and 4.5% of those are smokers). Each man is spending about 10 US$ per month or 120 US$ per year on cigarettes. On the country level, men spend about 5440000 US$ per month or 65280000 US$ per year on cigarettes (Table 2.8.2.).
Thus,
according to the data obtained from the survey among women, the total
reproductive age couples expenditures for cigarette smoking in Armenia
is about 6000000 US$ per month and almost 70000000 US$ per year. |