E. Cottell et al., PROCESSING OF SEMEN IN AN ANTIBIOTIC-RICH CULTURE-MEDIUM TO MINIMIZE MICROBIAL PRESENCE DURING IN-VITRO FERTILIZATION, Fertility and sterility, 67(1), 1997, pp. 98-103
Objective: To identify and determine the prevalence of microorganisms
in preprocessed and postprocessed semen in an IVF-ET program, Design:
Prospective study. Setting: University Teaching Hospital. Patient(s):
Seventy-four men undergoing preprogram evaluation, each producing two
semen samples. Intervention(s): Semen processing with a wash and swim-
up technique in a penicillin- and streptomycin-rich medium. Main Outco
me Measure(s): The identity and prevalence of seminal microorganisms b
efore and after professing, Result(s): Sixty-three percent of individu
al unprocessed semen samples grew microorganisms, the majority of whic
h were nonpathogenic. Thirty-three men (44.6%) had microbes identified
in repeat samples, four had identical organisms each time. Twenty (27
%) had positive cultures in one sample, negative in the other. Twenty-
one (28.4%) had consistently sterile semen. After seminal processing:
the recovery rate for microbes was 5%. Microbial presence after proces
sing did not correlate with either the sperm swim-up concentration or
the initial microbial concentration. Conclusion(s): Bacteriospermia is
common. The microorganisms found rarely are replicated and most likel
y represent contamination, Wash and swim-up semen preparation in art a
ntibiotic rich culture medium effectively eliminates 95% of organisms.