Study of infertility, health among women of Mexican heritage funded by $2.2M NIH grant

Oct. 1, 2024

A cross-border research project will seek to identify Hispanic women at risk of developing chronic diseases who may benefit from early screenings or interventions.

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Woman examining home pregnancy test.

Female infertility is often associated with greater risks of cancer, and Hispanic women are up to 70% more likely to experience infertility than white women.

Researchers at the University of Arizona Health Sciences and the Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública in Mexico are using a $2.2 million National Institutes of Health grant to explore the link between infertility and long-term health issues among Hispanic women of Mexican heritage.

According to recent research, female infertility is often associated with greater risks of cancer, cardiovascular disease and premature mortality. Hispanic women are up to 70% more likely to experience infertility than white women, yet little is known about their long-term health.

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Leslie Farland, ScD, is an associate professor at the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health and member of the U of A Cancer Center.
 

“Hispanics are the largest minority group in the United States, and 60% of Hispanics have Mexican heritage. We need to know more about infertility and related health risks in this group,” said Leslie Farland, ScD, an associate professor at the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health and member of the U of A Cancer Center who is collaborating with Dalia Stern, PhD, of the Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública to lead the study. “We hope this project is the first step toward personalized screening recommendations that improve women’s health and lengthen women’s lives.”

Read more on the University of Arizona Health Sciences website.