Table 5.
Exposures during the Gulf war—male Gulf veterans only
|
Type I infertility after Gulf war
|
Type II infertility after Gulf war
|
Male factor infertility after Gulf war, type I
|
Male factor infertility after Gulf war, type II
|
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exposure | Prevalence (No (%)) | Adjusted*odds ratio (95% CI) | Prevalence (No (%)) | Adjusted*odds ratio (95% CI) | Prevalence (No (%)) | Adjusted*odds ratio (95% CI) | Prevalence (No (%)) | Adjusted*odds ratio (95% CI) |
|
Vaccination against anthrax, plague, or both†
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| No | 9/526 (1.7) | 1.00 | 12/526 (2.3) | 1.00 | 4/521 (0.8) | 1.00 | 5/521 (1.0) | 1.00 |
| Yes | 189/7801 (2.4) | 1.16 (0.50 to 2.71) | 269/7801 (3.5) | 1.63 (0.78 to 3.37) | 73/7705 (1.0) | 2.95 (0.40 to 22.00) | 95/7705 (1.2) | 2.68 (0.64 to 11.21) |
|
Pyridostygmine bromide tablets (NAPS)‡
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| No | 33/1514 (2.2) | 1.00 | 47/1514 (3.1) | 1.00 | 10/1496 (0.7) | 1.00 | 15/1496 (1.0) | 1.00 |
| Yes | 218/8689 (2.5) | 1.06 (0.63 to 1.79) | 299/8689 (3.4) | 1.14 (0.75 to 1.71) | 84/8580 (1.0) | 1.57 (0.61 to 4.07) | 106/8580 (1.2) | 1.24 (0.62 to 2.48) |
| Depleted uranium§ | ||||||||
| No | 133/5624 (2.4) | 1.00 | 176/5624 (3.1) | 1.00 | 46/5561 (0.8) | 1.00 | 60/5561 (1.1) | 1.00 |
| Yes | 15/937 (1.6) | 0.74 (0.37 to 1.51) | 28/937 (3.0) | 1.26 (0.78 to 2.03) | 1/922 (0.1) | 0.25 (0.03 to 1.84) | 4/922 (0.4) | 0.70 (0.25 to 2.02) |
| Pesticide¶ | ||||||||
| No | 56/2438 (2.3) | 1.00 | 75/2438 (3.1) | 1.00 | 16/2414 (0.7) | 1.00 | 20/2414 (0.8) | 1.00 |
| Yes | 143/6052 (2.4) | 0.84 (0.53 to 1.34) | 204/6052 (3.4) | 1.03 (0.72 to 1.48) | 58/5974 (1.0) | 1.02 (0.46 to 2.25) | 76/5974 (1.3) | 1.36 (0.71 to 2.59) |
NAPS=nerve agent pretreatment sets tablets (antichemical warfare nerve agent prophylaxis).
Adjusted for age of both participant and female partner at first consulation for infertility or first post-Gulf conception (not infertile), year of first consulation or post-Gulf conception, previous pregnancies (before Gulf war), and service and rank at time of Gulf war.
With or without pertussis adjuvant. Excludes 2138 (20.4%) Gulf veterans with no information on this exposure. Denominators for prevalence are all participants answering “no” or “yes” (as appropriate) to vaccination against anthrax, plague, or both; exposure not known excluded; diagnosis not known also excluded from denominators for analyses of male factor infertility.
Excluding 262 (2.5%) Gulf veterans with no information on this exposure. Denominators for prevalence are all participants answering “no” or “yes” (as appropriate) to having taken NAPS tablets; exposure not known excluded; diagnosis not known also excluded from denominators for analyses of male factor infertility.
Excluding 3904 (37.3%) Gulf veterans with no information on this exposure. Denominators for prevalence are all those answering “no” or “yes” (as appropriate) to exposure to depleted uranium; exposure not known excluded; diagnosis not known also excluded from denominators for analyses of male factor infertility.
Excluding 1975 (18.9%) Gulf veterans with no information on this exposure. Denominators for prevalence are all participants answering “no” or “yes” (as appropriate) to exposure to pesticides; exposure not known excluded; diagnosis not known also excluded from denominators for analyses of male factor infertility.