The Connection Between Alcohol And Fertility: What You Need to Know?
There is no doubt in stating that alcohol intake affects fertility. This fact applies to both men and women. The fact that alcohol negatively impacts one’s general health genuinely explains how this intoxicated drink can affect one’s fertility.
While alcoholism affects a man’s capability to make his partner pregnant, in a woman, this can manifest as difficulty in staying pregnant. It is important to note here that when it comes to the amount of alcohol consumed on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis, both men and women are equal.
Alcohol And Fertility
To reiterate, alcohol intake plays a pivotal role in diminishing fertility capacity in both men and women. As a side note, none of them can escape from the ill effects of alcohol abuse. Alcoholism in females starts its negative action on fertility right from the different phases of a menstrual cycle.
In men, this impact can be seen by way of decreased sperm quality. The more the amount ingested, say more than 5 units a week, the higher will be its effect on the quality of sperm and eggs.
How Does Alcohol Affect Fertility?
- Alcoholism and its Effects on Female Fertility
Apart from inflicting general health, alcohol consumption in excess can potentially affect fertility rates in men and women. Gathering from the facts mentioned above, alcoholism in women can adversely impact the hormones that regulate their menstrual cycle. The functions of luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), and sex hormones, such as estrogen and progesterone can be highly disrupted.
Excessive alcohol intake can affect menstruation due to poor ovulation. It can logically be assumed that all these crepitations secondary to alcohol abuse can make it harder for a woman to conceive. Even though she is able to, the likely effects of alcoholism on fetal health and its life forward once born, will all be jeopardized by various health conditions. Secondly, the chances of miscarriage and stillbirths are also high when one intakes alcohol during pregnancy.
- Impact of Excessive Alcohol Consumption on Male Fertility
It is a common observation that a man tends to consume heavily on alcohol. It is no wonder why their fertility becomes impaired due to this excessive drinking habit. This overindulging tendency for intoxicating drinks like alcohol, besides disrupting their overall body function, doubtlessly interrupts their ability to reproduce.
Studies have shown that long-term alcohol intake in men can resultantly cause a decline in gonadotropin release and testicular atrophy with decreased testosterone and sperm production. On the contrary, however, acute alcohol consumption in heavy amounts was found to cause a tremendous increase in gonadotropins.
These findings though independent of liver disease, are typically associated with alcohol intake. Decreased testosterone was reported to be consistent with both long-term and acute alcohol consumption in excess. Being strongly associated with liver dysfunction, heavy alcohol intakes can cause hormonal disturbances, in turn, causing difficulty in metabolizing estrogen.
It could be assimilated that the duration of alcohol intake and the amount at which one consumes alcohol can potentially determine male and female fertility. Of note, the frequency at which one consumes alcohol can also heavily impact one’s fertility to cause infertility down the road.
Does Alcohol Lead to Infertility?
It has well been determined The negative effects of alcohol consumption based on its duration, frequency, and amount from the previous section. Hence, one can easily assume the consequences of alcoholism on fertility in men and women.
Heavy and consistent, or even binge drinking can directly impact the function of the testes. The consequence is decreased sperm quality in terms of its ability to reach the egg. The inability of the liver to properly metabolize vitamin A required for sperm growth can well be attributed to this issue. These points are enough to conclude that alcohol can indeed lead to infertility in men.
Additionally, the decreased sperm count and quality secondary to excessive alcohol consumption can indeed cause decreased libido, affecting sexual health in the process.
Alcoholism in women and its possibility of leading to infertility can be determined based on how and in what amount alcohol is consumed. Also, how these affect ovulation and menstrual cycles should be considered. This being stated, binge drinking, heavy drinking, underage drinking, and drinking during pregnancy, are sure enough to determine their causing infertility in women.
Binge Drinking: Four or more drinks taken on an occasion and ingested for two to three hours.
Heavy Drinking: Taking eight or more drinks on a weekly basis.
Underage Drinking: Any type of alcohol consumed by youngsters who are aged below 21.
Pregnant Drinking: Drinking alcohol during pregnancy.
The frequency and amount of drinking (socially or in private) as presented in the above-mentioned format are well enough to lead to infertility in women. Underage drinking and pregnancy drinking are also sure-shot factors causing the same. Again, the number of youngsters aged below 20 and taking to drinking is en route to developing infertility in the long run.
Methods To Limit Alcohol Intake To Prevent Infertility
It is understandable that some people, especially youth, cannot quit or abstain from alcohol consumption. This is important as far as their fertility issue is concerned. Efforts in this regard should highly consider the need to not stress them to quit alcohol intake all at once. This, of course, is not possible. In lieu of this, the following measures have been identified:
- Cutting back on drinking
- Following a simple and structured approach to drinking more mindfully.
- Customizing one’s time and preference to drink.
- Saving money otherwise utilized for binge drinking and switching to healthier diets and drinks.
Conclusion
The article has, overall, summarized the importance of limiting alcohol intake to prevent fertility-related issues affecting men and women. This was concluded from realizing the serious impacts of excessive alcohol consumption, especially by way of binge drinking and heavy drinking.
Whether holding a long-standing history of alcoholism or having recently developed the habit, one must monitor one’s drinking to not exceed the amount and frequency. Suggestions to limit one’s alcohol intake have been provided to improve one’s fertility rates and prevent issues that may lead to infertility.
