Alcohol can reduce fertility for both men and women. Heavy drinking, such as two bottles of wine or more per week, has been linked to an 18% decrease in fertility. Drinking as few as three alcoholic drinks per week can make it harder for a woman to become pregnant, especially if she drinks during the second half of her menstrual cycle.
Alcohol can also cause:
- Reduced testosterone and sperm production
- Worsened semen quality, including semen volume and sperm morphology
- Poorer quality embryos
Drinking alcohol before pregnancy can also increase the risk of a baby being born early or at a lower than ideal birth weight.