UC Merced

Background: Global environmental chemical exposure is expected to grow but its impacts on fertility is unclear. Objectives: We characterized exposures to 23 common chemicals across socioeconomic characteristics and examined their relationship with self-reported infertility. Methods: Non-pregnant women ages 18–49 years without history of hysterectomy or oophorectomy (n = 2,579) were identified from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2013–2016). Sociodemographic factors and infertility were self-reported. Environmental chemicals were analyzed from biospecimens and dichotomized as high and low based on the median. Logistic regression models estimated the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the association between high exposures and infertility. Results: Women who were older, of other/multi-race, and less educated had higher exposures to chemicals such as pesticides, heavy metals, and flame retardants. There were associations between infertility with cadmium (aOR: 1.83 95% CI: 1.00 – 3.63) and arsenic (aOR: 1.92 95% CI: 1.07-3.44), and two pesticides including hexachlorobenzene (OR: 2.04 95% CI: 1.05-3.98) and oxychlordane (OR: 2.04 (1.12-3.69). Only cadmium and arsenic remain statistically significant in adjusted models. We also found negative associations with two Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl substances. Conclusions: Chemical exposures varied by sociodemographic characteristics. Associations were mixed and unstable due to small sample, but cadmium and arsenic were associated with infertility.