Artificial insemination by frozen donor semen: results of multicentre Australian experience

The early history of IVF in Australia and its contribution to the world (1970-1990)

Although Edwards and Steptoe achieved the first IVF pregnancy and birth in 1978, the majority of pioneering developments in IVF during the eighties came from Australia. They included the world's first donor egg pregnancy, the first frozen embryo pregnancy and the first IVF multiple pregnancies. Australia also produced the first national guidelines for IVF practices, the first statute legislation protecting donor gamete pregnancies, and Victoria proclaimed the first statute legislation regarding control of IVF procedures. The reporting of the outcome of all IVF pregnancies began in 1980 as another world initiative.

Prospective, randomized, blinded evaluation of donor semen quality provided by seven commercial sperm banks

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate variability in donor semen quality between seven commercial donor sperm banks, within sperm banks, and between intracervical insemination and intrauterine insemination.

DESIGN

Prospective, randomized, blind evaluation of commercially available donor semen samples.

SETTING

An academic andrology laboratory.

PATIENT(S)

Seventy-five cryopreserved donor semen samples were evaluated.

INTERVENTION(S)

Samples were coded, then blindly evaluated for semen quality.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S)

Standard semen quality parameters, including concentration, motility parameters, World Health Organization criteria morphology, and strict criteria morphology.

RESULT(S)

Significant differences were observed between donor semen banks for most semen quality parameters analyzed in intracervical insemination samples. In general, the greatest variability observed between banks was in percentage progressive sperm motility (range, 8.8 +/- 5.8 to 42.4 +/- 5.5) and normal sperm morphology (strict criteria; range, 10.1 +/- 3.3 to 26.6 +/- 4.7). Coefficients of variation within sperm banks were generally high.

CONCLUSION(S)

These data demonstrate the variability of donor semen quality provided by commercial sperm banks, both between banks and within a given bank. No relationship was observed between the size or type of sperm bank and the degree of variability. The data demonstrate the lack of uniformity in the criteria used to screen potential semen donors and emphasize the need for more stringent screening criteria and strict quality control in processing samples.

Cohort follow-up of couples with primary infertility in an ART programme using frozen donor semen

BACKGROUND

This study was designed to determine the crude cumulative live-birth rates in a cohort initiating frozen donor semen treatment until completion.

METHODS

This cohort study included 588 couples with primary infertility in one University Hospital centre. The treatment sequence involved first artificial insemination (AID) followed by IVF if necessary (IVF-D). Live birth, drop-out for personal or medical reasons and recourse to IVF-D were recorded for all patients. Live births and drop-out were expressed both as rates per cycle and crude cumulative rates.

RESULTS

At the completion of AID and IVF-D cycles, 406 couples in the cohort (69%) achieved a live-birth and 182 couples (31%) discontinued treatment. In most cases, couples stopped treatment for personal reasons (74%) whereas fewer couples were denied further treatment for medical reasons (26%).

CONCLUSIONS

This is the first report on the crude cumulative live-birth rate in a cohort after AID and IVF-D cycles. Although calculation based on crude cumulative live-birth rate shows lower results in comparison with life table analysis, this method allows patients to obtain an insight into their actual chances of achieving a successful pregnancy.

Fecundability trends among sperm donors as a measure of donor performance

OBJECTIVE

To examine fecundability trends among sperm donors.

DESIGN

Retrospective analysis.

SETTING

University-based sperm bank and donor insemination program.

PATIENT(S)

Sperm donors and recipients.

INTERVENTION(S)

A group of recipients underwent IUI with cryopreserved donor sperm. Fecundability was calculated for 20 sperm donors over 800 insemination cycles.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S)

Average fecundability per donor was compared for the first 40 cycles of a donor's use and for those donors within a group of more fertile recipients. Sperm parameters, recipient ages, and number of unique recipients for each donor were analyzed.

RESULT(S)

Average donor fecundability is constant; however, individual donors demonstrated differences among their fecundabilities (overall mean, 0.09; range, 0.01-0.26). These differences persisted for donors among a group of more fertile recipients (overall mean, 0.12; range, 0.02-0.35). A donor's fecundability at 15 cycles is predictive of his future performance.

CONCLUSION(S)

Differences in fecundability exist among sperm donors which cannot be discerned through routine semen parameters. Sperm donor fecundability should be analyzed periodically, and directors of sperm banks should consider discontinuing use of a donor whose outcome is substandard.

Donor insemination--a look to the future

In this article we have reviewed many aspects of donor insemination. The deficiencies in the screening of semen donors especially for sexually-transmitted diseases has been discussed and importance of a rational protocol for recruitment and screening of potential donors has been emphasized. Factors influencing the success and outcome of donor insemination have been reviewed with particular emphasis on providing prognostic guidelines to potential donor insemination couples as to the success and outcome of the treatment. The importance of accurate timing of inseminations in determining the success of donor insemination has also been discussed. However, as has been highlighted throughout this review, there is a lack of specific prospective controlled trials, which are clearly necessary to answer specific important questions. Also emphasized has been the need of these trials to answer such basic questions as the influence of accurate timing on conception rates in specific groups of insemination recipients.

Factors in the infertile couple influencing the success of artificial insemination with donor semen

Factors influencing the success of artificial insemination with donor semen (AID) were investigated in a series of 928 infertile couples. A simple approach with one insemination/cycle, timed only by cycle length and basal body temperature, was used. The overall life-table cumulative conception rate was 82% and the average fecundability was 10%. The following factors were associated with a higher success rate: women less than 36 years, azoospermic compared with oligozoospermic husband and women with no history of abdominal surgery. The success rate decreased with increasing duration of infertility and in women with an abnormal hysterosalpingography or laparoscopy, and was unrelated to menarcheal age, the distance between the couples place of residence and the clinic, or if the woman had been pregnant before starting AID treatment.

Cryopreservation of human semen

A review is given of the techniques for the cryopreservation of human semen, including the preparation of cryoprotective media, the use of ampoules, straws, and pellets, and freezing and thawing techniques. The use of cryopreserved semen for therapeutic artificial insemination by donor is described. The advantages of cryopreserved semen over fresh donor semen mostly lie in the ability to exclude infections before use and the extra convenience, in spite of the lower success rate and increased cost. The recovery of sperm motility on thawing is described, as are other methods for assessing the degree of damage to the spermatozoa by the freezing procedure. The success rates reported by large semen banks are summarized.

Current management of a donor insemination program

Substantial evidence now exists to show that considerable maternal-fetal morbidity may result from microbiologic transmitted diseases that can be transmitted through artificial insemination by donor. In the present decade it has become increasingly clear that the use of fresh semen is potentially hazardous and its use has been discouraged by both the CDC and AFS. To minimize this risk, donor insemination programs should establish their own guidelines to thoroughly evaluate potential semen donors via history, physical examination, and laboratory evaluation before the use of donor semen after cryopreservation and quarantine. The management of a donor insemination program in the future requires uniform procedures for rigorous genetic and microbiologic screening before the selection and use of semen donors for artificial insemination.

The mean interval to conception: a measure of utility for the analysis of decisions involving fertility

This article describes a method of assigning a utility, or relative worth, to outcomes based on the mean interval to conception (MIC). In the formula MIC = 1/fC, the subscript C is the proportion of a given cohort of women who would conceive if given an infinitely long trial and fC is the fecundability or monthly probability of conception among this subgroup. MIC and MIO (interval of observation for those who do not conceive) are used as the utilities in decision analyses of fertility treatment. This method provides a semiquantitative estimate that reflects uncertainty of cure of infertility and variation in amount of time spent in the nonpregnant state after infertility treatment.

Results of artificial insemination at home by the partner with cryopreserved donor semen: a randomized study

The use of cryopreserved semen offers the possibility of home insemination by the instructed partner. A comparative study was designed whereby participants were randomly allocated to use home or clinic insemination for six cycles. If no pregnancy had occurred after six cycles, the site of insemination was switched to the opposite location for a maximum of six further cycles. Fifty-three women with primary infertility fulfilling all entry criteria entered the study. In the first 6 cycles out of 29 home starters, 13 pregnancies were conceived, whereas in 24 clinic starters 11 pregnancies occurred, yielding no statistical difference in pregnancy rate. Of 138 couples who did not meet the criteria in the same period, 45 opted for home insemination, resulting in 20 home-inseminated pregnancies. Again, for comparable subgroups no statistical difference in pregnancy rate between home and clinic insemination was found.

The value of the cervical score in monitoring ovulation induction for in vitro fertilization: a prospective double-blind study

The present study was designed to determine the accuracy of the cervical score for the timing of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) administration in in vitro fertilization patients compared to the timing of hCG administration based upon estradiol and ultrasound measurements. Forty-two patients undergoing ovulation induction with human menopausal gonadotropin (hMG)/hCG for in vitro fertilization were studied. A total of 192 cervical scores was obtained together with plasma estradiol levels and pelvic sonography. hCG was given based on estradiol and ultrasound results without knowing the cervical score. An independent decision to give hCG was made based on the cervical score only following a mean of 2.5 days of a cervical score of 9-12 without the examiner's knowledge of estradiol and ultrasound results. This decision was theoretic and was not considered for the actual timing of hCG. In 16 (38%) of the cases this decision coincided with that based on estradiol and ultrasound. In 24 (57%) of the cases there was a 1-day gap. A direct correlation was found among the cervical score, the plasma estradiol concentration, and the mean diameter of the two leading follicles (P less than 0.001). The overall distribution of the cervical score grouped according to estradiol levels (less than 200, 201-400, and greater than 401 pg/ml) was significantly different (P less than 0.001). The proportion of "mature" cervical scores (score of 11-12) in the three different estradiol groups was 15.6, 34.5, and 68.0%, respectively. In conclusion, independent decisions to give hCG based on cervical score or estradiol and ultrasound were coincident +/- 1 day in 95% of the cases.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Estimation of fertility and fecundity in women receiving artificial insemination by donor semen and in normal fertile women

The pregnancy rates after artificial insemination by donor semen (AID) have been compared with pregnancy rates in normal fertile women to assess the efficiency of AID. To do this, the curve y = a(1-(1-b)x) was fitted to life-tabled cumulative pregnancy rates. The equation describes a model in which the parameter a is the proportion of women who are potentially fertile under the conditions of treatment, and in which the parameter b is the pregnancy rate per cycle (or fecundity) of these fertile women. For 259 AID patients with no previous pregnancy a was 65% while for 57 AID patients with a previous pregnancy after AID 'a' was 99.9%. The values of b were similar for the two groups of patients, being 20% and 22% respectively. Women without fertility problems who had become pregnant after discontinuing oral contraception provided the reference group. Since only pregnant women were selected, a was 100% by definition. The values of b for the reference group were 22% for 100 primigravid women and 20% for 100 multigravid women. Only 65% of the AID patients were potentially fertile with AID, but those that were fertile became pregnant at the same rate as normal women who discontinued oral contraception.

The influence of seminal characteristics on the success rate of human in vitro fertilization

The relationship of conventional semen parameters and the limits of these parameters for fertilization in vitro were analyzed from data over a 3-year period (1980 to 1982). Sperm motility was the single most important parameter determining the fertilization rate. Fertilization failed when the initial and final motilities were less than 20% and 30%, respectively. The percentage of abnormal sperm forms was also significantly related to the fertilization rate; but even when there were greater than 60% abnormal spermatozoa, fertilization could be obtained. Sperm concentration in semen had no significant effect on the fertilization rate when the data were controlled for motility or abnormal sperm forms. The fertilization rate increased with reduced sperm numbers used for insemination in vitro but had no effect on the incidence of multiple pronuclei in oocytes.

Artificial donor insemination: fresh versus frozen semen; the patient as her own control

The efficacies of fresh versus cryopreserved semen in the treatment of male factor infertility by artificial insemination by donor (AID) semen were directly compared by using the patient as her own control. In any one cycle, either fresh or frozen semen was used. The type of semen preparation was randomly assigned for the first cycle and varied thereafter according to donor availability. The same donor was used for a given patient in six consecutive cycles. We treated 381 patients in this way. In 676 cycles fresh semen was used and 128 pregnancies were achieved. Fecundability, the chance of getting pregnant per cycle of exposure, was 18.9% with fresh semen. In 1200 cycles cryopreserved semen was used and 60 pregnancies occurred, for a fecundability of 5.0%. Therefore, in our clinic, fresh semen is more than three times as likely to induce pregnancy as frozen semen. The design that has been used in this therapeutic protocol provides a technique for internal quality control of the cryopreservation process and for the investigation of other variables potentially affecting the success rates with AID.

The relationship of tubal blockage, infertility of unknown cause, suspected male infertility, and endometriosis to success of in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer

The success of in vitro fertilization (IVF) and embryo transfer has been examined with regard to five categories of infertility over a 2-year period. Fertilization rates in vitro were highest in women with bilateral tubal blockage and women treated for endometriosis. There was a significant reduction of approximately 13% in the fertilization rate of couples with idiopathic infertility and women who had failed to conceive after 12 cycles of artificial insemination by donor. A further substantial reduction in the fertilization rate occurred when the husband had low quality semen, particularly when no abnormality was detected in the wife. Repeated IVF in couples with idiopathic infertility eventually resulted in fertilization. It is recommended that donor spermatozoa not be used for cases of idiopathic infertility, but it may be needed in cases of poor semen quality. There were no differences in the pregnancy rates following embryo replacement in any of the groups studied, nor was there any detectable effect of age on fertilization or pregnancy rates up to the age of 44 years.