Impact of current and previous sperm findings on outcomes of intrauterine insemination.

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.