Binge Drinking Leads to a Lower Sperm Count; A Nation of Bros Weeps

Men who consume five drinks or more a week are at risk for reduced sperm quality, according to a study published in BMJ Open. Hold all the bros in your life just a little tighter tonight as they grapple with this news.

Researchers found that a greater consumption of alcohol led to a lower sperm count and a lowered proportion of regular sized and shaped sperm. Via The Guardian:

“Our study suggests that even modest habitual alcohol consumption of more than 5 units per week had adverse effects on semen quality, although most pronounced associations were seen in men who consumed more than 25 units per week,” the authors wrote.

“Young men should be advised to avoid habitual alcohol intake.”

I know that last part isn’t supposed to be funny but, woo buddy, it is.

The study found that the more men drank, the greater the adverse effect. Yeah. Men who typically drank 40 drinks per week were found to have a 33% decrease in sperm count. It seems that that male fraternity population of America may have some reproductive issues in the future—I’ll leave you to decide how to feel about that.

However, Dr Allan Pacey a senior lecturer in andrology at the University of Sheffield doesn’t want men to be too alarmed:

He said there is no need for men who want to start a family to become teetotal, or for doctors to recommend that. But, habitual and binge-drinking is quite different. “Whilst Professor Jensen’s paper found no strong evidence that binge-drinking was linked to poor semen quality, it would seem sensible advice for many other [non-reproductive] aspects of health and general wellbeing to avoid it,” Pacey added.

Yes, it seems that binge drinking is detrimental to your health in a myriad of ways. Good to know. I’m sure this new information will have a great effect on young binge drinkers as they are known for being heavily invested in the immediate and future repercussions of their actions.