GLASS WOOL FILTER PREPARATION OF CRYOPRESERVED SPERMATOZOA

Oligozoospermic and asthenozoospermic semen ejaculates, as well as cry opreserved sperm samples prepared by the wash and swim-up procedure of ten result in unsatisfactory sperm recovery rates. In this study the g lass wool filter and the wash and swim-up preparation procedures were compared on the basis of their 'effective' (number of live sperm per m illilitre) recovery rates. The glass wool filter procedure consistantl y produced significantly (P = 0.0002) higher viable sperm concentratio ns, making it the preferred method for the preparation of cryopreserve d sperm to be used in assisted reproduction techniques. The use of thi s preparation procedure has also been shown to have no adverse affect on the fertilizing potential of human spermatozoa in our unit.