Treatment of oligoasthenospermia with human chorionic gonadotropin: hormonal profiles and results

Forty-seven oligoasthenospermic patients were treated with human chorionic gonadotropin, 5000 IU twice weekly for 12 to 15 weeks. Only three patients impregnated their wives following treatment. Sperm concentration subsequent to treatment decreased in 26 patients, increasing in only 8 cases. Sperm motility improved in 36% of the patients and deteriorated in 30%. During treatment, mean testosterone levels rose by 72%, mean estradiol levels rose by 140%, and mean follicle-stimulating hormone levels decreased by 80%. Mean prolactin levels remained unaltered. The disappointing results with human chorionic gonadotropin treatment fail to make it a recommendable therapy for patients with idiopathic oligoasthenospermia.