Problem drinking may dampen both a man’s sex life and his chances of having children, according to a new study.Researchers in India found that men being treated for alcoholism had lower testosterone levels and more sperm abnormalities than non-drinkers did. They also had a far higher rate of erectile dysfunction (ED) - 71 percent, versus 7 percent of abstainers.Some past studies have suggested that heavy drinking can take a toll on men’s reproductive health. One recent study found that couples had a higher miscarriage risk if the man had consumed 10 or more drinks a week around the time of conception.Also, it’s known that alcoholic men can develop signs of low testosterone, including shrunken testicles and enlarged breasts.The new findings add to evidence that heavy drinking, at least among alcoholics, may harm both men’s sex lives and their fertility, according to the study authors, led by Dr. K. R. Muthusami of Kovai Medical Center and Hospital in Coimbatore, India.
