Facebook Pixel

Native Hawaiian and Pacific Island Women's Health: Smoking

By
 
Rate This

About 1 in 4 Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander women smokes. Smoking is the biggest risk factor for lung cancer. And research suggests that Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders who smoke are more likely to develop lung cancer than other smokers.

Smoking increases your risk of major health problems, including:

Cancer
Heart disease
Stroke
Lung disease
Gum disease
Eye problems that can lead to blindness

Women who smoke are at increased risk of cervical cancer. Women who take birth control pills and also smoke have a higher risk of stroke.

Smoking can make illnesses last longer and make it harder to get pregnant.

Smoking during pregnancy can cause the baby to be born too early and other problems. Smoking is also a risk factor for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

On top of all the health problems caused by smoking, it also stains your teeth, fingers, and fingernails, gives you bad breath, and causes wrinkles.

More resources on minority women's health

Add a CommentComments

There are no comments yet. Be the first one and get the conversation started!

Image CAPTCHA
Enter the characters shown in the image.
By submitting this form, you agree to EmpowHER's terms of service and privacy policy
womenshealth.gov
View Profile Send Message

We value and respect our HERWriters' experiences, but everyone is different. Many of our writers are speaking from personal experience, and what's worked for them may not work for you. Their articles are not a substitute for medical advice, although we hope you can gain knowledge from their insight.

Lung Cancer

Get Email Updates

Lung Cancer Guide

Alison Beaver
Empowered

Have a question? We're here to help. Ask the Community.

ASK

Health Newsletter

Receive the latest and greatest in women's health and wellness from EmpowHER - for free!