Alcohol use has been associated with infertility and miscarriage risk in women. Studies in women without infertility who were attempting to conceive found that drinking 1-5 drinks per week lowered the number of women who achieved pregnancy by 30%. Higher amounts of alcohol use lowered the number of pregnancies by 60%.
Among 430 couples with no previous pregnancy, another also found a negative impact of alcohol use
| Number of drinks per week | Impact on Fertility |
|---|---|
| 1-5 | 39% reduction |
| 6-10 | 45% reduction |
| 11-15 | 66% reduction |
| >15 | 66% reduction |
Alcohol use and IVF
In IVF cycles, women drinking alcohol even in the month before the IVF cycle started produced less eggs, had lower pregnancy rates and higher miscarriage rates.
A study published in the journal Obstetrics and Gynecology found that women beginning an in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment who drank four or more drinks per week were 16% less likely to have a live birth than those who drank less than that or not at all. When both partners drank at least four drinks a week, the rate of live birth was reduced even further, down to a 21% less chance of having a live birth when compared to couples who didn’t drink or drank less than four drinks per week.
Alcohol use in men
In men, alcohol use has also been associated with infertility, low sperm counts and low sperm motility. In IVF cycles, even use in the month before starting treatment resulted in lower pregnancies rates and higher miscarriage rates in their partners.
