Intra-uterine insemination with prepared sperm vs. unprepared first split ejaculates. A randomized study.

In this randomized prospective study, we determined the conception rate following intra-uterine insemination with washed and prepared sperm, or with the first portion of a split ejaculate, in couples with longstanding male (n = 27, 70 treatment cycles) or cervical infertility (n = 14, 29 treatment cycles). Folliculogenesis and ovulation were induced by human menopausal gonadotropin and human chorionic gonadotropin. Significantly more couples conceived in the male infertility group following intra-uterine insemination with washed sperm, than after intra-uterine insemination with split ejaculate (9 vs. 2; P less than 0.05), while no difference in pregnancy rate (2 vs. 2) was found by the two intra-uterine insemination methods in the cervical infertility group.