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Updated: Jul 30, 2026
Sperm Collection of Differential Quality Using Density Gradient Centrifugation
Published on: November 29, 2018
Male partner screening before in vitro fertilization: preselecting patients who require intracytoplasmic sperm
M R Freeman1, A E Archibong, J J Mrotek
1Nashville Fertility Center, Nashville, Tennessee 37203, USA. mfreeman@nashvillefertility.com
Objectives:
To determine the diagnostic accuracy of the sperm penetration assay (SPA) and standard semen parameters for subsequent fertilization in in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET).
Design:
Prospective study.
Setting:
Andrology Laboratory, and university research laboratory.
Patients:
Two hundred sixteen couples undergoing male-partner screening before IVF-ET (265 cycles).
Intervention(S):
Male-partner screening (semen analyses [SA] and SPA), standard IVF-ET procedures, follow-up of fertilization in IVF-ET.
Main Outcome Measure(S):
Diagnostic accuracy of SA and SPA for prediction of fertilization in IVF-ET.
Result(S):
The SPA predicted IVF fertilization with high negative (84%) and positive (98%) predictive rates, and correct prediction in 88% of cycles. In contrast, sperm concentration, motility, morphology, and complete SA showed poor diagnostic accuracy, with correct prediction of IVF fertilization in 64%, 65%, 45%, and 68% of cycles, respectively.
Conclusion(S):
Very low sperm concentration and/or motility were good predictors of poor IVF fertilization, however, low to normal semen parameters were not predictive of successful IVF fertilization. The SPA is a useful screening tool that predicts IVF fertilization with high diagnostic accuracy. The SPA may be useful to discriminate between those couples with a high probability of normal fertilization in IVF and those with a low probability of normal fertilization that may benefit from assisted fertilization by intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI).
