Antisperm antibody production following intrauterine insemination

Fifty-one infertile women were studied prospectively to assess whether intrauterine insemination (IUI) led to the development of antisperm antibodies in cervical mucus and/or serum. All women were tested for the presence of antisperm antibodies in cervical mucus and serum before and after IUI treatment. Each woman underwent between 1 and 9 cycles of IUI (mean: 4.0 cycles). Five women (9.8%) developed serum antisperm antibodies after IUI treatment. Three of 49 women (6.1%) developed cervical mucus antisperm antibodies and three other women demonstrated disappearance of antibodies following IUI treatment. IUI did not increase mucus or serum antibody titres in women who presented with antisperm antibodies. The number of IUI cycles did not correlate with the development of antisperm antibodies. We conclude that IUI increases the risk of the female partner developing systemic antisperm antibodies but the clinical significance of this finding in unclear.