Taniguchi M, Kanasaki H, Oride A, Okada H, Imamura K, Kyo S. Impact of current and previous sperm findings on outcomes of intrauterine insemination.
Reprod Med Biol 2024;
23:e12574. [PMID:
38590943 PMCID:
PMC11000811 DOI:
10.1002/rmb2.12574]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2023] [Revised: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Purpose
To examine the association between semen characteristics and outcomes of intrauterine insemination (IUI).
Methods
This retrospective analysis examined 1380 IUI procedures involving 421 couples. The association of clinical pregnancy with pre- and post-wash sperm characteristics was assessed.
Results
Pre- and post-wash sperm characteristics did not differ between IUI cycles that resulted in pregnancy and those that did not. When the motility of pre-wash sperm was below the normal range (<42%) established by the World Health Organization (WHO), the pregnancy rate was significantly lower. In the IUI cycles when post-wash sperm motility was below the WHO standard, pregnancy was not achieved. The frequency of improvement in post-wash sperm motility in repeated IUI cycles appeared to correlate with the success of future IUI cycles. At the fourth IUI cycle, pregnancy was not achieved unless the post-wash sperm motility was normal in at least two of three attempts. When post-wash sperm concentration was below the normal range, the woman's age did not affect the IUI outcomes.
Conclusions
Sperm motility above the lower limit of the WHO criteria in post-wash semen samples is an important factor in IUI outcomes.
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