TY - JOUR

T1 - Regional differences in waiting time to pregnancy among fertile couples from four European cities

AU - Kold-Jensen, Tina

AU - Slama, Remy

AU - Ducot, B.

AU - Suominen, J.

AU - Cawood, Elizabeth H.H.

AU - Andersen, A. G.

AU - Eustache, Florence

AU - Irvine, S.

AU - Auger, S.

AU - Jouannet, P.

AU - Vierula, Matti

AU - Jørgensen, N.

AU - Toppari, Jorma

AU - Skakkebæk, Niels Erik

AU - Keiding, Niels

AU - Spira, Alfred

PY - 2001/12/1

Y1 - 2001/12/1

N2 - BACKGROUND: A previous European study found a longer time to pregnancy (TTP) among fertile women from Paris compared with women from other Western European countries. A co-ordinated, cross-sectional study of pregnant couples from Denmark (Copenhagen), France (Paris), Scotland (Edinburgh) and Finland (Turku) was therefore undertaken to assess differences in waiting TTP among couples from these cities. METHODS: Pregnant women were invited to participate when they showed up for their first antenatal visit in one of the four centres. Inclusion criteria included that their partner was 20–45 years of age and born in the country in which he was currently living and that the pregnancy was achieved without fertility treatment. Both partners filled in a questionnaire and the man underwent a physical examination and delivered a semen sample (Turku: n = 237, Copenhagen: n = 302, Edinburgh: n = 212, Paris: n = 191). RESULTS: French couples had a decreased probability of conception compared with couples from the other three countries, although only after adjustment for confounders. No significant differences between couples from the three other countries were found. CONCLUSION: The observed geographical differences in TTP remain unexplained and were not due to differences in semen quality, but may be caused by varying exposures to environmental factors or psychological distress. In addition, selection bias due to the low participation rates cannot be ruled out. Future studies examining the causes for geographical differences in TTP are needed.

AB - BACKGROUND: A previous European study found a longer time to pregnancy (TTP) among fertile women from Paris compared with women from other Western European countries. A co-ordinated, cross-sectional study of pregnant couples from Denmark (Copenhagen), France (Paris), Scotland (Edinburgh) and Finland (Turku) was therefore undertaken to assess differences in waiting TTP among couples from these cities. METHODS: Pregnant women were invited to participate when they showed up for their first antenatal visit in one of the four centres. Inclusion criteria included that their partner was 20–45 years of age and born in the country in which he was currently living and that the pregnancy was achieved without fertility treatment. Both partners filled in a questionnaire and the man underwent a physical examination and delivered a semen sample (Turku: n = 237, Copenhagen: n = 302, Edinburgh: n = 212, Paris: n = 191). RESULTS: French couples had a decreased probability of conception compared with couples from the other three countries, although only after adjustment for confounders. No significant differences between couples from the three other countries were found. CONCLUSION: The observed geographical differences in TTP remain unexplained and were not due to differences in semen quality, but may be caused by varying exposures to environmental factors or psychological distress. In addition, selection bias due to the low participation rates cannot be ruled out. Future studies examining the causes for geographical differences in TTP are needed.

U2 - 10.1093/humrep/16.12.2697

DO - 10.1093/humrep/16.12.2697

M3 - Journal article

VL - 16

SP - 2697

EP - 2704

JO - Human Reproduction

JF - Human Reproduction

SN - 0268-1161

IS - 12

ER -