E-PRESTO
If you live or work in Boston or Detroit, you might be eligible to participate in the Environmental PRESTO substudy (E-PRESTO).
What is E-PRESTO?
There is growing evidence that certain chemicals in the environment are harmful to reproductive health, but there has been little research on this topic. The PRESTO investigative team has received additional funding to study the effects of several environmental chemicals on fertility among PRESTO participants. This sub-study is called the
Environmental Pregnancy Study Online (E-PRESTO).
E-PRESTO will recruit 1,000 female PRESTO participants and 1,000 of their male partners. Participants are eligible if they live or work in the greater Boston or Detroit areas. Participants must be willing to provide blood and urine samples (in addition to completing all questionnaires for the main PRESTO study), so that levels of environmental chemicals can be measured. After collection, participants’ samples will be shipped to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for analysis.
Will I be paid to participate in E-PRESTO?
Yes, participants will be paid $50 for their participation.
Will I get my results back from participating in E-PRESTO?
Participants will be able receive information on the levels of chemicals in their blood and urine, and how those levels compare with the rest of the E-PRESTO study participants and reproductive-aged women in the U.S. However, we send urine and blood samples to the CDC in batches, and the analyses take time to complete. Therefore, we estimate it may take at least 1-2 years before your levels are available. Participants will be notified when results become available, and can access their results online through our secure portal.
If I am interested, how can I enroll in E-PRESTO?
If you are interested in enrolling in the E-PRESTO study, please complete your baseline PRESTO questionnaire. Our automated system will then check whether you meet criteria for E-PRESTO (e.g., within driving distance to our laboratories) and, if you are eligible, we will invite you in a separate e-mail. If you have any questions, please contact us at
bupresto@bu.edu or 617-358-3424.
Can I enroll in E-PRESTO without enrolling in PRESTO?
No. You must first enroll in PRESTO to be eligible for E-PRESTO.
Recruitment for E-PRESTO began in 2015 and the Detroit site was added in late March 2017! Please enroll in PRESTO to see if you are eligible.
To enroll in PRESTO, click here: PRESTO Enrollment Form.
