Reduction of steps in the preparation of motile sperm for intrauterine insemination does not reduce efficacy of the procedure: simplified one-step swim-up method versus classic swim-up.
BACKGROUND
Intrauterine insemination (IUI) is a valid treatment for infertility with a cumulative pregnancy rate of >40-90% after 3-10 treatment cycles. We studied the efficacy of a simplified method for motile sperm preparation for IUI.


METHODS
A prospective clinical trial was performed with 100 couples (male age 33-48 and female 28-37 years) with a 2-8 year history of primary infertility associated with slight oligozoospermia (16/100), oligomenorrhoea (32/100) or unknown (52/100). Motile sperm for IUI were prepared by: (A) the classic World Health Organization self-migration (swim-up) method which includes centrifugation, or (B) a simplified one-step swim-up procedure without centrifugation. Recombinant FSH was used for ovarian stimulation. Depending on the cause of infertility, patients were matched one-to-one at the time of IUI, so that when a total of 100 couples had been treated, 50/100 women received sperm prepared by method A and 50/100 by method B.


RESULTS
A statistically significant correlation was found between the percentage motile sperm of the original semen sample and the percentage of motile sperm recovered by method A (r = 0.333, P < 0.01) and B (r = 0.400, P < 0.01). A highly significant correlation (r = 0.997, P < 0.001) was found between the two methods.


CONCLUSIONS
The simplified one-step swim-up method was as effective as the classic swim-up method, but the former was easier and more economical.
Inaudi
P
P
Department of Paediatrics, Obstetrics and Reproductive Medicine, Chair of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Siena, Italy. inaudi@unisi.it
Petrilli
S
S
Joghtapour
A
A
Trusso
P
P
Petraglia
F
F
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007247:Infertility, Female / Q000628:therapy*; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000628:therapy*; D007317:Insemination, Artificial, Homologous / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013081:Sperm Motility; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000502:physiology*