Table 3.
Reported prevalence of infertility* after Gulf war. Values are numbers (percentages) unless stated otherwise
| Outcome | Gulf veterans (n=10 465) | Non-Gulf veterans (n=7376) | Adjusted odds ratio†(95% CI) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reported fertility problems after Gulf war‡: | 732 (7.0) | 370 (5.0) | 1.38 (1.20 to 1.60) |
| No conceptions (type I) | 259 (2.5) | 122 (1.7) | 1.41 (1.05 to 1.89) |
| No live births (type II) | 356 (3.4) | 166 (2.3) | 1.50 (1.18 to 1.89) |
|
Type I infertility after Gulf war—no conceptions
|
|
|
|
| Any male infertility factor§: | 97 (0.9) | 47 (0.6) | 1.16 (0.74 to 1.82) |
| Azoospermia¶ | 10 (0.1) | 5 (0.1) | 0.95 (0.21 to 4.26) |
| Oligospermia¶ | 63 (0.6) | 27 (0.4) | 1.38 (0.75 to 2.53) |
| Asthenospermia¶ | 39 (0.4) | 19 (0.3) | 0.97 (0.51 to 1.85) |
| Teratospermia¶ | 21 (0.2) | 6 (0.1) | 2.02 (0.79 to 5.14) |
| Oligoasthenoteratospermia¶ | 8 (0.1) | 2 (0.03) | 2.17 (0.43 to 10.89) |
|
Type II infertility after Gulf war—no live births
|
|
|
|
| Any male infertility factor§: | 125 (1.2) | 54 (0.7) | 1.45 (0.98 to 2.14) |
| Azoospermia¶ | 10 (0.1) | 5 (0.1) | 0.95 (0.21 to 4.26) |
| Oligospermia¶ | 80 (0.8) | 32 (0.4) | 1.58 (0.94 to 2.65) |
| Asthenospermia¶ | 51 (0.5) | 23 (0.3) | 1.19 (0.68 to 2.08) |
| Teratospermia¶ | 26 (0.3) | 6 (0.1) | 2.55 (1.03 to 6.30) |
| Oligoasthenoteratospermia¶ | 9 (0.1) | 2 (0.03) | 2.47 (0.51 to 12.00) |
Infertility defined as trying for a pregnancy after Gulf war without success for more than a year and consulting a doctor before 1 August 1997 about failure to conceive (no conceptions after Gulf war before unsuccessful attempt); with no subsequent conceptions achieved (type I) or no live births achieved (type II). Excludes 14 men reporting fertility problems due to unsuccessful reversal of (elective) sterilisation, congenital urogenital anomaly, injuries (for example, paralysis), or cancer treatment.
Adjusted for age of both participant and female partner at first consultation for infertility or first post-Gulf war conception (not infertile), year of first consultation or post-Gulf war conception, previous pregnancies (before Gulf war), and service and rank at time of Gulf war.
Whether or not conceptions subsequently achieved (that is, whether or not infertile, as defined in this paper).
Excludes 136 Gulf veterans and 61 non-Gulf veterans for whom diagnosis not known.
Participants may appear in more than one category if diagnosed as having more than one infertility factor.