DOES ALCOHOL AFFECT FERTILITY IN MALES?
Male fertility generally depends on the quantity and quality of your sperm. If the number of sperm you ejaculate is low, or if the sperm are poor quality, it will be difficult (and in some cases impossible) to get pregnant. Sperm health can be influenced by a range of things including your genes, age, weight, and smoking status.
DOES ALCOHOL AFFECT SPERM HEALTH?
Alcohol consumption does not have a negative impact on the quality of the sperm as researchers may say, but daily alcohol intake has a detrimental effect on semen volume and morphology.
When it comes to conceiving, it’s not just your sperm quality that can influence your success. Heavy drinking can affect your ability to get and maintain an erection, your sex drive and performance. These issues can make it harder to fall pregnant.
You might think that managing your alcohol intake won’t mean much but putting yourself in the best position possible can help your chances. It’s also easier to cut back or stop drinking when the people around you are supportive, so going alcohol-free as well could be a help to your partner.
Whether you’re trying to conceive or not, it’s likely worth taking a closer look at your drinking habits for the benefit of your overall wellbeing.
TIPS FOR REDUCING DRINKING.
Reducing your drinking can help improve your mood, energy, sleep, waistline and bank balance. Here are some tips to help you cut back.
- Set yourself a limit.
- Have a few alcohol-free days each week.
- Swap to low or no alcohol alternatives.
- Alternate alcoholic drinks with non-alcoholic drinks, preferably water.
- Have a solid meal before drinking or eat while you drink.
- Limit how much alcohol you keep in the house.
- Change your de-stress routine, swapping a glass of wine for a hobby, exercise or another way to wind down
- Choose alcohol-free catch-ups where you can.
- When heading out, avoid drinking in rounds.
- Rehearse a few responses for when people ask why you’re not drinking.
- Get others on board to help keep you accountable.