This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. The purpose of the Study for Future Families I is two-fold. The first is to establish what 'normal' sperm counts and hormone levels are and how long most couples take to conceive. Articles in medical journals have reported changes in sperm counts over the past several decades and many of these have reported that sperm counts have been dropping. There have been many theories about why these changes have occurred, but none of them has been convincing enough to be accepted. This study, which is being conducted in four European and four U.S. cities, will use the same methods to measure the sperm counts and hormones in all cities. All of these men will be of proven fertility because their partners will be pregnant at the time that the study is being conducted. This will allow the study's researchers to compute what 'normal' levels are around the world at this point in time. The second purpose of this study is to identify environmental exposures, including exposure to pesticides that might affect either the production of sperm or the production of hormones needed to make sperm. There are many environmental and hazardous exposures that theoretically could change the way a male makes both sperm and the hormones that allow the testicles to work properly. This study will help determine whether the history of these exposures is different in couples that got pregnant quickly compared to those who took a long time to get pregnant. The purpose of the follow-up Study for Future Families II is to find out if exposure to phthalates during pregnancy or in early life affects early development to look at exposure to certain commonly used chemicals which can be measured in urine samples. These investigators will look to see if the phthalate levels in women's urine or serum during pregnancy or in their urine and breast milk after birth are related to the phthalate levels in the baby's urine. The phthalate levels in mother and baby will be related to the use of various products and to the development of the baby.
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