Effects of Alcohol on Fertility

Many medical researches have shown that alcohol consumption has very huge effects on fertility. In fact even moderate consumption could easily lower your fertility. Much is being done towards an accurate determination of how alcohol affects fertility but with the studies that we have had I would say nothing is likely to change.

Impact of Alcohol in Fertility

Studies have shown that excessive or even moderate consumption of alcohol can cause multiple infertility problems such as amenorrhea (delayed menstrual cycle), inhibited ovulation, lowered hormone concentration, and reduced ovarian weight. It could also interfere with how the sperm cell is transported through to the fallopian tube. According to the IVF San Diego institute women are advised to totally avoid consumption of any alcoholic beverages when trying to conceive. 

Therefore not drinking is the safest option for anyone trying to conceive. The potential risks of alcohol consumption in pregnancy are related to neurodevelopmental abnormalities than even prematurity. They also come with potential miscarriages, still births, placenta abruption, fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) pre-term labor, and reduced birth weight. 

Men who regularly consume alcohol have also been found to have low sperm motility, lowered chances of fertilization, and low sperm concentration. Alcohol also depresses the adrenal glands thus slowing the release of hormones and this directly impairs the egg health and libido. 

Many couples who are seeking expensive infertility treatments say In Vitro Fertilization have in many occasions been found to be heavy drinkers. In men poor sperm quality have also been tied to excessive alcohol consumption since most alcoholic beverages contain a lot of sugar that will lead to insulin resistance, hormonal imbalance, yeast infection, mineral deficiency and low levels of immunity.

What You Can Do

If your partner has a known fertility problem – alcohol, you can seek out the most ideal solutions including the use of gestational surrogacy, use of IVF, and sperm / egg donation. Sperm donation will only work for you if the man has a low sperm count, however if the woman is an alcoholic it is of no use since her uterus might not be ideal for the development of the baby. In such cases the use of a surrogate mother will be an ideal option if any viable eggs can be retrieved. 

Rehabilitation is another great option since it ensures that you keep off alcohol and improve your fertility cycle. That’s why couples who seek these expensive infertility treatments are advised to quit alcohol or stay away from alcoholic beverages for at least 3 – 6 months prior to any of these procedures. There is no doubt heavy drinking affect fertility. It reduces the chances of having a healthy baby and could trigger fertility genetic disorders.

Until now it has been proved that heavy drinking on the side of the mother can bring a spectrum of harm to the fetus. It increases the high levels of birth defects including the development of the fetal brain. And in those women who consume heavily there are high risks of heavy or irregular menstrual periods and spontaneous abortion.