Study of Chlordecone Exposure and Its Impact on Fertility in Women Aged 18 to 39 in Guadeloupe

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are investigating the possible link between exposure to chlordecone, a persistent organochlorine pesticide formerly used in the French West Indies, and female fertility. This study focuses on women who are consulting for couple infertility in Guadeloupe. Chlordecone has known estrogenic and progestagenic effects and has been shown in animal studies to impair ovulation and reduce ovarian reserve, but its impact on human female fertility has not been studied before. This observational study will measure levels of anti-mullerian hormone AMH, a marker of ovarian reserve, and analyze their association with different levels of chlordecone exposure. Additional assessments will include counting antral follicles within the menstrual cycle and evaluating other environmental exposures, including persistent organic pollutants. The study will also examine the relationship between chlordecone exposure and the risk of main causes of female infertility, as well as outcomes after assisted reproductive technology treatments over a two-year period. Participants will undergo AMH measurement during their assisted reproductive technology assessment and have antral follicle counts done between days 2 and 4 of their spontaneous menstrual cycle. Researchers will collect baseline exposure data and follow participants for up to two years to monitor fertility treatment outcomes. This study will help clarify how environmental factors like chlordecone and the vaginal and endometrial microbiome might affect female fertility in this population.

Chlordecone Exposure and Female Fertility