Male fertility and reproductive disorders

Chronic heavy drinking among men can interfere with the reproductive hormones responsible for the following :

• Sexual maturation
• Sperm development (thus having an impact on fertility)
• Other aspects of male sexual behaviour

Alcohol is also thought to be toxic to the testes. In severe cases the testes can fail to function properly resulting in sexual problems, hormonal deficiencies (eg. reduction in testosterone levels) and infertility.

Some evidence also suggests that children of problem drinking fathers can be at greater risk of heart problems (Bielawski and Abel 1997; Abel 1998 in Plant 2004).

[This page is under construction]

Introduction | Alcochol drugs and the menstrual cycle | Alcochol and the foetus
Drugs and the foetus | After the birth: child and parents' needs | Website Links and further reading