Thinking about a Dry July?
Dry July is a not-for-profit organisation raising funds for adults living with cancer. By asking you to giving up booze for the month of July, it aims to raise awareness of individual drinking habits and drive a healthy attitude to alcohol consumption.
How much is too much?
Whether you take part or not, it's important to understand how alcohol affects your fertility. Drinking can reduce both men’s and women’s fertility. Even drinking lightly can reduce the chance of pregnancy. Heavy drinking increases the time it takes to get pregnant and reduces the chances of having a healthy baby.
For women who are planning a pregnancy, choosing not to drink alcohol is the safest option.
For men, having an occasional alcoholic drink is unlikely to affect your fertility. But heavy drinking can reduce sperm quality, lower testosterone production, and make it harder to achieve an erection. It can also lead to liver damage, which affects both your general and reproductive health.
We don’t know exactly how much alcohol will impact your fertility, so consuming alcohol in moderation is your safest bet. We also recommend cutting out or reducing alcohol at least three months before trying for a baby.
Where can I find out more information?
If you are concerned about your alcohol consumption or getting healthy for pregnancy you can book into the Flinders Fertility Preconception Care program. This is run by our specially trained fertility nurses and often involves coordinating with other associated health providers such as physiotherapists, hypnotherapists, dieticians, and naturopaths to give you the best chance of success.
If you have any further questions, you can arrange a nurse chat with one of our fertility nurses. More information can also be found on our preparing for pregnancy page.
For up to date health and wellness information on how to increase your chances of conception, check out our Fertility News page, or download our e-book below.
