By Dr Yuvraj Arora , Sexology

Drinking small amounts of alcohol can no doubt lower your inhibitions, but prolonged and excess drinking can severely hamper your sexual desire, performance, and health. Alcohol-induced sex can cause a lot of problems such as unwanted pregnancies, contracting sexually transmitted diseases and such other complications. Read on to find out more:

1. Alcohol lowers inhibition which, in turn often leads to poor judgment. Poor judgment may cause you to have unprotected sex, contract STD’s (sexually transmitted diseases) or have a sexual encounter which you might regret later on.

2. During pregnancy, alcohol is very harmful for the baby as drinking alcohol during that time can cause Fetal alcohol syndrome. Alcohol consumption should be avoided at all costs during the time of conception and the first three months of pregnancy.

3. Alcohol also inhibits sexual desire and is a cause for impotence and erectile dysfunction. People who drink alcohol on a regular basis develop permanent erectile dysfunction if left unchecked or unattended.

4. Studies have shown that a regular consumption of alcohol over a considerable period of time does immense harm to a person’s sexual health. It can diminish your libido or your sex drive and over time the person might have no desire for sex; quite contrary to popular belief that alcohol is an aphrodisiac.

5. Alcohol can also cause fertility issues both in men and in women. It can decrease the sperm count in men and can cause other reproductive disorders in women.