The prognostic value of a prior spermatozoa study for human in vitro fertilization

Patients admitted for treatment of in vitro fertilization (IVF) were subjected to a semen investigation about 1-2 weeks prior to actual IVF and again during IVF. In addition to routine semen analyses, the recovery efficiency of motile spermatozoa by swim-up technique and Percoll gradient separation, the level of semen lactate dehydrogenase and the viability of the spermatozoa in the insemination medium were also studied. There is a significant correlation between the results of the pre-IVF analyses and that observed during IVF suggesting that a prior investigation of semen profile and sperm function is useful to screen potential IVF candidates. Among the various parameters, sperm motility in the semen and the swim-up preparation, percent normal spermatozoa and in vitro viability were significantly related to the outcome of IVF.