Alcohol effects on male and female fertility!

Fertility could be a complicated subject for those who are finding difficulty in conceiving. However, many lifestyle choices play a significant part in fertility and infertility. One of them is the consumption of alcohol regularly. Regular alcohol intake can have a negative impact on both female and male fertility causing crucial obstacles in their journey from conception to parenthood.

The consumption level of alcohol is a significant determinant that can cause fertility. It can be categorized as low i.e., once a week, moderate i.e., up to 2 days per and heavy i.e., drinking every day or every alternate day. There is one more category i.e., binge drinking which is the consumption of four or more drinks occasionally which should not be done since it has a harmful impact on fertility.

Effects of Alcohol on female fertility?

Females with high alcohol addiction are more likely to suffer infertility issues than those without alcohol addiction. Furthermore, moderate alcohol consumption has been shown to cause menstrual disturbances in the form of painful and irregular periods.

Women within the highest alcohol consumption group (14 units or more per week) had approximately 37 pregnancies in their 307 cycles, and those who did not drink had 1,381 pregnancies in their 8,054 cycles. These figures equate to an 18% fall in the possibility that the females would conceive.

Hence, it is better not to have alcohol while trying to conceive or after conceiving.

Effects of Alcohol on male fertility?

Alcohol has a risky effect on male reproduction, as it could lead to a problem with a release of the male sex hormone called testosterone. It leads to both types of infertility such as reduced libido and erectile dysfunction. It also decreases the sperm count, sperm motility and percentage of morphologically normal sperm cells in the semen.

A study analyzing the influence of everyday habits and lifestyle factors on male fertility has resulted that almost every heavy drinker has abnormal semen parameters and the most common issue they suffer from is low sperm count.

Therefore, be it male or female one should avoid alcohol while they are trying to conceive naturally and normally.