Is alcohol harming your fertility?

Drinking any amount of alcohol can make it more difficult to conceive

There’s evidence that alcohol can reduce fertility for both males and females. So why does alcohol cut your chances of having a baby? And what can you do to keep the risks as low as possible?

Alcohol and fertility

It’s estimated that fertility problems affect one in seven couples in the UK, with the most common causes being ovulation problems for women, and sperm disorders for men.¹ While these problems can be caused by a range of factors, research shows that both ovulation² and sperm quality³ can be affected by drinking alcohol.

Recent evidence indicates that alcohol consumption prior to conception (for both men and women) is associated with a higher risk of heart defects for babies, with high consumption and binge drinking having the biggest impact.⁴

However, women can reverse the above risks to their fertility by stopping drinking before getting pregnant, and men can achieve the same effect by cutting right down or stopping.^5,6

For women trying to conceive, it’s safest not to drink alcohol at all to give the best chance of success and keep health risks to the baby as low as possible. Not drinking at all while trying to conceive and during pregnancy is also a great way for men to support their partner, and to ensure their sperm is the highest possible quality.

Drinking alcohol at any stage of pregnancy can cause long-term health problems for your baby. Find out more about Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD).

Female fertility and alcohol

The UK Chief Medical Officers' low risk drinking guidelines recommend that women trying to have a baby, or pregnant women, should not drink alcohol at all to keep health risks to the baby as low as possible.

Alcohol can decrease female fertility. A recent review has shown that light drinking reduces fertility in women, and fertility is reduced even further in women drinking moderately or heavily.^7,8

The NHS also advises that if you’re trying to get pregnant it’s important to take folic acid supplement every day and continue taking it during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy too,⁹ and make sure to eat a healthy diet throughout, to help your baby develop healthily. And if you’ve been trying for a baby for at least one year without success, you should contact your GP surgery for more advice.

You can get more advice on the NHS website if you’re planning for a pregnancy.

Find out more about how alcohol affects women here

Male fertility and alcohol

Drinking more that the UK low risk drinking guidelines (14 units per week) lowers testosterone levels and sperm quality and quantity in men.^11,12 That’s because men who regularly exceed the guidelines are at risk of destroying sperm-producing cells in the testicles, affecting the quality of their sperm.¹³

Alcohol affects male fertility too – female partners of men who have a high intake of alcohol are less likely to become pregnant.¹⁰

As well as affecting hormone levels, alcohol can inhibit the function of the testes, stopping sperm from developing properly and reducing the sperm’s ability to move towards an egg. This happens because alcohol stops the liver from properly metabolising vitamin A, which is needed for sperm to develop.¹⁴

And alcohol can affect your sex life whether you’re trying for a baby or not. Drinking to excess can also harm a male’s sexual performance, causing impotence and loss of sexual desire.¹⁵

Find out more about how alcohol affects men

Healthy lifestyle and getting help

A healthy lifestyle is key to helping your fertility.

In addition to stopping drinking, or cutting your alcohol consumption, steps you can take to increase your chances of conceiving include not smoking, keeping to a healthy weight and talking to your doctor if you have a long-term health condition or are taking any regular medication.¹⁶

The NHS advises that if you’ve been trying for a baby for at least one year without success, you should contact your GP surgery for more advice. Find out more about the NHS advice if you’re trying for a baby here.

If you’re ready to change your drinking habits, why not start today? Drinkaware has tools and advice that can help:

Find out how your drinking compares, try our Drinking Check quiz

Download the free MyDrinkaware app to track and reduce your drinking

Further advice and information

Arming yourself with strategies and tips can help you or a loved one take small steps towards big results.

Drink Free Days – your ultimate guide Mocktails What to expect when you stop drinking How to reduce the amount you and your partner drink

References

[1] NHS website. How long does it take to get pregnant? https://www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/trying-for-a-baby/how-long-it-takes-to-get-pregnant/ (Accessed 10 March 2022)

[2] Mohammad Yaser Anwar, Michele Marcus, Kira C Taylor. The association between alcohol intake and fecundability during menstrual cycle phases, Hum Reprod (2021) Aug 8;36(9):2538-2548. doi:10.1093/humrep/deab121.

[3] Ricci, E., Al Beitawi, S., Cipriani, S., Candiani, M., Chiaffarino, F., Viganò, P., Noli, S. and Parazzini, F. (2017). Semen quality and alcohol intake: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Reproductive Biomedicine Online, 34(1), 38-47.

[4] Senmao Zhang, Lesan Wang, Tubao Yang, Lizhang Chen, Lijuan Zhao, Tingting Wang, Letao Chen, Ziwei Ye, Zan Zheng, Jiabi Qin European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, Volume 27, Issue 4, 1 March 2020, Pages 410–421, https://doi.org/10.1177/2047487319874530

[5] Van Heertum, K., Rossi, B. Alcohol and fertility: how much is too much?. Fertil Res and Pract 3, 10 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40738-017-0037-x

[6] Sermondade, N., Elloumi, H., Berthaut, I., Mathieu, E., Delarouzière, V., Ravel, C., & Mandelbaum, J. (2010). Progressive alcohol-induced sperm alterations leading to spermatogenic arrest, which was reversed after alcohol withdrawal. Reproductive biomedicine online, 20(3), 324–327. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rbmo.2009.12.003

[7] Fan, D., Liu, L., Xia, Q., Wang, W., Wu, S., Tian, G., Liu, Y., Ni, J., Wu, S., Guo, X., & Liu, Z. (2017). Female alcohol consumption and fecundability: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis. Scientific reports, 7(1), 13815. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-14261-8

[8] Mohammad Yaser Anwar, Michele Marcus, Kira C Taylor. The association between alcohol intake and fecundability during menstrual cycle phases, Hum Reprod (2021) Aug 8;36(9):2538-2548. doi:10.1093/humrep/deab121.

[9] NHS website. Vitamins, supplements and nutrition in pregnancy. (Accessed 8 June 2022). Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/keeping-well/vitamins-supplements-and-nutrition/

[10] Albert Salas-Huetos, Mònica Bulló, Jordi Salas-Salvadó, Dietary patterns, foods and nutrients in male fertility parameters and fecundability: a systematic review of observational studies, Human Reproduction Update, Volume 23, Issue 4, July-August 2017, Pages 371–389, https://doi.org/10.1093/humupd/dmx006

[11] Braga, D. P., Halpern, G., Figueira, R., Setti, A. S., Iaconelli, A., Jr, & Borges, E., Jr (2012). Food intake and social habits in male patients and its relationship to intracytoplasmic sperm injection outcomes. Fertility and sterility, 97(1), 53–59. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fertnstert.2011.10.011

[12] Ricci, E., Al Beitawi, S., Cipriani, S., Candiani, M., Chiaffarino, F., Viganò, P., Noli, S. and Parazzini, F. (2017). Semen quality and alcohol intake: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Reproductive Biomedicine Online, 34(1), 38-47.

[13] Sansone, A., Di Dato, C., de Angelis, C., Menafra, D., Pozza, C., Pivonello, R., Isidori, A. and Gianfrilli, D. (2018). Smoke, alcohol and drug addiction and male fertility. Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology, 16(1), 3.

[14] ibid

[15] Cheng, J., Ng, E., Chen, R. et al. Alcohol consumption and erectile dysfunction: meta-analysis of population-based studies. Int J Impot Res 19, 343–352 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijir.3901556

[16] NHS website. Trying to get pregnant. https://www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/trying-for-a-baby/trying-to-get-pregnant/ [Accessed 10 March 2022)

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Last Reviewed: 9th June 2022

Next Review due: 9th June 2025

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