The in vitro fertilization (IVF) journey is commonly considered a woman-oriented narrative. But a latest study has found that male habits akin to alcohol use may also significantly affect treatment outcomes.

The study, published within the journal Molecular Human Reproduction, found alcohol use amongst men has a big negative influence on IVF success rates.

“We are saying to the girl, ‘That you must watch out of what you eat. That you must give up smoking. That you must be doing all these various things to enhance fertility,'” Dr. Michael Golding said, MedicalXpress reported. “We do not say anything to the person, and that is a mistake because what we’re seeing here is that the couple’s odds of success with their IVF procedure are increasing just by addressing each parents’ health habits.”

Assisted reproductive technologies (ART) like IVF are a particularly popular option amongst couples facing infertility. In accordance with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), roughly 2% of all babies born in the USA are conceived using ART, the outlet reported.

Within the study, researchers used a mouse model to research the impact of a possible father’s drinking on IVF outcomes. The males were divided into three groups–a control group comprising males who don’t drink, a bunch containing males who engage in chronic drinking on the legal limit, and a bunch with males who take part in chronic drinking at one and a half times the legal limit.

Following evaluation, it was found that the quantity of alcohol that a male drinks before providing sperm for an IVF pregnancy is directly proportional to pregnancy success.

“Seeing the negative effects in each the legal limit group and the group drinking at one and a half times the legal limit revealed that as alcohol dose increases, things worsen,” Golding said. 

“That actually surprised me. I didn’t think that it could be that cut and dry. That actually emphasized that even very modest levels of exposure were breaking through and having an impact on conception, implantation, and overall IVF pregnancy success rates,” Golding further said.

In accordance with the researchers, male alcohol use restricts an embryo from successfully implanting within the uterus, thereby reducing IVF embryo survival rates. 

“Crucial thing to remove from that is that in case you’re a male considering having a family, abstain from alcohol until your wife gets pregnant,” first writer, Alexis Roach, noted.

A separate study found an efficient method to influence people to scale back their alcohol consumption. “We found that pairing details about alcohol and cancer with a specific practical motion – counting their drinks – resulted in drinkers reducing the quantity of alcohol they consumed,” lead researcher Simone Pettigrew from The George Institute for Global Health, said.