DOES TREATMENT WITH TESTOSTERONE UNDECANOATE IMPROVE THE IN-VITRO FERTILIZING-CAPACITY OF SPERMATOZOA IN PATIENTS WITH IDIOPATHIC TESTICULAR FAILURE - (RESULTS OF A DOUBLE-BLIND-STUDY)

Seventy-seven couples in whom conventional in-vitro fertilization (IVF ) had remained unsuccessful because of low fertilization rate and abno rmal sperm characteristics were given either testosterone undecanoate 120 mg/day, or placebo during 3 months, after which a new IVF treatmen t was applied under identical technical conditions. There were no sign ificant changes in sperm characteristics among the treated and placebo couples and the fertilization rate showed a similar increase after tr eatment in both groups. No significant difference in pregnancies occur red, with 32% pregnancies in the placebo controls and 17% among couple s treated with testosterone undecanoate. It is concluded that testoste rone undecanoate intake does not improve sperm characteristics, or the in-vitro fertilizing potential, or pregnancy rate over those observed in the placebo controls in cases with primary idiopathic testicular f ailure.