Sm. Qasim et al., DOES THE ABSENCE OR PRESENCE OF SEMINAL FLUID MATTER IN PATIENTS UNDERGOING OVULATION INDUCTION WITH INTRAUTERINE INSEMINATION, Human reproduction, 11(5), 1996, pp. 1008-1010
Sperm preparations for intrauterine insemination (IUI) generally do no
t include seminal fluid, and it is not known whether the absence of th
is component affects pregnancy rates. Therefore we evaluated the effec
t of high intravaginal seminal fluid deposition on clinical pregnancy
rates in patients undergoing ovulation induction and IUI therapy. A pr
ospective, randomized, double-blind study was designed for an infertil
e population in a university-based infertility practice. Patients were
randomized to receive high vaginal deposition of either seminal fluid
separated from the husband's ejaculate (study group) or normal saline
solution (control group). Intercourse was restricted. A comparison of
clinical pregnancy rates per cycle between study and control groups s
howed no significant difference between them [22/164 (13.4%) and 19/15
5 (12.3%) respectively]. Further, in non-participants with unregulated
intercourse, the pregnancy rate per cycle was not significantly diffe
rent (40/307; 13.0%). Miscarriage rates between the study and control
groups were similar, As high intravaginal deposition of seminal fluid
at the time of IUI does not improve the clinical pregnancy rate in pat
ients undergoing ovulation induction and IUI therapy, our study sugges
ts that, after ejaculation, clinically significant biological contribu
tions of seminal fluid to the achievement of pregnancy are bypassed by
well-timed IUI.