Sperm motility in the semen analysis affects the outcome of superovulation intrauterine insemination in the treatment of infertile Asian couples with male factor infertility.

Abstract

To ascertain the relationship between the initial and unprocessed sperm parameters and pregnancy rates in SOIUI, for Asian couples with male factor infertility. Retrospective study. A large government tertiary-care women's hospital with 15,000 deliveries per year. One thousand four hundred and seventy nine couples undergoing 2846 cycles of SOIUI. All couples enrolled in the SOIUI programme were analysed, comparing initial sperm parameters and the post-processed total motile sperm, against pregnancy rates per cycle. Pregnancy rates in relation to initial sperm parameters and post-processed total motile sperm. Ninety-three percent of the couples had male factor infertility. The average normal forms for these men was 14.7%. Overall pregnancy rate was 12.1% per completed SOIUI cycle. We found a significant drop in pregnancy rates if the percentage of motile sperms in the unprocessed sperm sample fell below 30%. We also found that insemination of at least 1 million motile sperm resulted in a significant increase in pregnancy rates. We recommend SOIUI as an effective treatment of suitable couples with male infertility, before embarking on IVF. However, if the initial percentage of motile sperm fell below 30%, or if after processing, the total motile sperm count was fewer than 1 million, these couples should consider in vitro fertilisation.