Environmental Chemicals and Infertility in Women
Author Information
Author(s): Martinez Valerie, Yen Irene H., Alvarez Camila, Williams Andrew D., Ha Sandie
Primary Institution: University of California, Merced
Hypothesis
Exposures to environmental chemicals vary by sociodemographic characteristics and are positively associated with the odds of self-reported infertility in US reproductive-aged women.
Conclusion
High levels of exposure to certain environmental chemicals, such as cadmium and arsenic, are associated with increased odds of self-reported infertility among reproductive-aged women in the US.
Supporting Evidence
- Women with high levels of cadmium exposure had 1.88 times the odds of infertility.
- High levels of arsenic exposure were also positively associated with infertility.
- Self-reported infertility was more prevalent among older women and those with higher incomes.
Takeaway
Some chemicals in the environment can make it harder for women to get pregnant, especially for those who are older or have lower incomes.
Methodology
The study used data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) to assess chemical exposures and self-reported infertility among non-pregnant women aged 18-49.
Potential Biases
Potential biases include self-reporting inaccuracies and exclusion of certain demographics from the sample.
Limitations
The cross-sectional design limits causal inferences, and infertility was self-reported, which may lead to misclassification.
Participant Demographics
Participants were reproductive-aged women (18-49 years) from diverse sociodemographic backgrounds in the US.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.05
Confidence Interval
1.02–3.47 for cadmium; 1.05–3.36 for arsenic
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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