Effect of semen characteristics on pregnancy rate following intrauterine insemination

Objective : To assess the effects of semen characteristics on the success of intrauterine
insemination (IUI). Design : A retrospective study. Settings : The Department
of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tokushima University Hospital, Japan. Patients : Between
2004 and 2008, 1,177 IUI cycles in 283 couples were studied. Intervention : IUI cycles were
preceded with ovarian stimulation. Main Outcome Measure : Clinical pregnancy. Result :
A total of 82 clinical pregnancies were obtained (7.0% pregnancy rate per cycle, 28.9% per
case). Their subsequent outcomes of pregnancies were 18 miscarriages (21.9%), 2 ectopic
pregnancies (2.4%) and 60 live births (73.2%). Of the 82 clinical pregnancies, 2 were twin
pregnancies (2.4%). There was no triple or higher order multiple pregnancies. At the end
of the sixth cycle, 73 clinical pregnancies had been achieved (89.0%). After diagnostic
laparoscopy, the pregnancy rate per cycle for patients 35 years age was 18%, which is
significantly higher than that of patients 35 years of age. Pregnancies occurred up to
the fifth cycle after laparoscopy. The pregnancy rate (PR) per cycle was significantly
higher in cases of sperm movement rates more than 30% (PR9.3%) and total motile sperm
counts more than 10 106/ml (PR 8.2%). A study comparing the washed and unwashed cases
did not reveal any differences. Conclusion : In male sub-fertility cases of sperm parameters
as motility rates 30% and motile sperm concentration 10 106/ml, IUI could be a
useful option for infertility treatment J. Med. Invest. 58

The journal of medical investigation : http://medical.med.tokushima-u.ac.jp/jmi/index.html