Homologous artificial insemination and oligospermia

Of approximately 339 patients evaluated at a private infertility service over a 5-year period, 24 couples underwent homologous artificial insemination (AIH). Nineteen of these were performed to circumvent the problem of oligospermia, and only one pregancy was achieved in this group; conceivably this pregnancy could have occurred by chance. The difficulty in controlling the numerous variables in a clinical fertility study and the limitations of the present methodology are also discussed. It would appear that the use of AIH to circumvent oligospermia has not been successful. However, the present series is rather small. AIH should continue to be offered to couples who have a well-defined indication such as impotence, premature ejaculation, or any anatomical defect which prevents successful intromission. The use of AIH for patients with mild oligospermia but excellent sperm motility probably deserves a limited trial, since it is less expensive and may offer some chance for success.