A study of the associations between drinking alcohol and the chances of becoming pregnant suggests that women who want to conceive should avoid heavy drinking.

The research was led by Dr Kira Taylor, associate professor of epidemiology and population health at the University of Louisville School of Public Health and Information Sciences (Kentucky, USA). The findings were published on June 8th 2021. 

Within this experiment, women from the ages of 19-41 were recruited between 1990 and 1994. They were followed for 19 menstrual cycles, and the women kept daily diaries where they would write what type of alcohol they drank and the quantity. 

In addition, they provided urine samples on the first and second day of each menstrual cycle to check for pregnancy.

They established variables by which non-drinkers were used as a comparison with moderate drinkers (three to six drinks a week), heavy drinkers (more than six alcoholic drinks a week) and binge drinkers (more than four drinks on a single day).

The researchers collected information on factors that could affect the results, such as age, medical history, smoking, obesity, birth control methods and intention to become pregnant.

When the research concluded, the results showed that heavy drinking during the ovulatory part of the cycle reduced the odds of becoming pregnant by 61%. 

In an article with science daily, Dr Taylor said;

Our study only included a few hundred women and, while we believe the results strongly suggest that heavy and even moderate alcohol intake affects the ability to conceive, the exact percentages and numbers should be viewed as rough estimates.”

However, she also said that this should not be seen as a form of contraception, as it only reduces the chance of pregnancy instead of preventing it.