Table 4.
Prevalence of infertility* after Gulf war—clinically confirmed† cases only. Values are numbers (percentages) unless stated otherwise
| Outcome | Gulf veterans (n=10 465) | Non-Gulf veterans (n=7376) | Adjusted odds ratio‡(95% CI) |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Type I infertility—no conceptions
|
|
|
|
| Any male infertility factor§: | 58 (0.6) | 26 (0.4) | 1.18 (0.68 to 2.03) |
| Azoospermia¶ | 7 (0.1) | 3 (0.04) | 1.03 (0.17 to 6.17) |
| Oligospermia¶ | 33 (0.3) | 11 (0.2) | 1.76 (0.81 to 3.84) |
| Asthenospermia¶ | 28 (0.3) | 17 (0.2) | 0.86 (0.42 to 1.75) |
| Teratospermia¶ | 16 (0.2) | 6 (0.1) | 1.78 (0.69 to 4.60) |
| Oligoasthenoteratospermia¶ | 7 (0.1) | 2 (0.03) | 2.17 (0.43 to 10.89) |
|
Type II infertility—no live births
|
|
|
|
| Any male infertility factor§: | 74 (0.7) | 32 (0.4) | 1.33 (0.83 to 2.12) |
| Azoospermia¶ | 7 (0.1) | 3 (0.04) | 1.03 (0.17 to 6.17) |
| Oligospermia¶ | 41 (0.4) | 15 (0.2) | 1.68 (0.88 to 3.23) |
| Asthenospermia¶ | 37 (0.4) | 21 (0.3) | 1.02 (0.55 to 1.86) |
| Teratospermia¶ | 20 (0.2) | 6 (0.1) | 2.19 (0.87 to 5.51) |
| Oligoasthenoteratospermia¶ | 8 (0.1) | 2 (0.03) | 2.47 (0.51 to 12.00) |
Tried for a pregnancy after Gulf war without success for more than a year and consulted a doctor before 1 August 1997 about failure to conceive. No conceptions after Gulf war before unsuccessful attempt. Infertility defined as type I (no conceptions achieved) or type II (no live births achieved). Excludes 14 men reporting fertility problems due to unsuccessful reversal of (elective) sterilisation, congenital urogenital anomaly, injuries (for example, paralysis), or cancer treatment.
Infertility cases with no clinical confirmation (clinician's summary or semen analysis results) excluded from these analyses. Unconfirmed diagnoses are not necessarily inaccurate but are merely cases where relevant permission was not given to consult clinical notes or clinical notes could not be located.
Adjusted for age at attempt, age of wife or partner at attempt (men), year of attempt, previous pregnancies (before Gulf war), and service and rank at time of Gulf war.
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.