INTRAUTERINE INSEMINATION - EFFECT OF WASH MEDIA ON PREGNANCY RATES AND SPERM MOTILITY

Testyolk Buffer has been shown to enhance sperm penetration in hamster penetration assays and increase fertilization of oocytes in in vitro fertilization. Based on these findings, we compared pregnancy rates an d sperm motility in intrauterine inseminations done with sperm samples washed and resuspended in Ham's F10 as compared with Testyolk buffer. Charts were reviewed retrospectively from 1,098 husband and donor int rauterine inseminations performed at the University of Florida. Data w ere analyzed using life table analysis and the curves compared with th e Mantel-Haenszel -statistical test. In addition, sperm motility in fr esh sperm was observed in samples incubated in Testyolk or Ham's F10, with motility counts performed at 0, 6 and 24 hours. Four hundred nine ty-two Testyolk cycles and 579 Ham's F10 cycles were compared, with cu mulative pregnancy rates at one year of 53% and 44%, respectively (P = .58). With donor sperm, 229 cycles with Testyolk and 314 cycles with Ham's F10 had cumulative pregnancy rates of 68% and 48%, respectively (P = .52). With husband insemination, 264 Testyolk and 253 Ham's F10 c ycles had pregnancy rates of 37% and 35%, respectively (P = .23). Fres h sperm motility in 22 samples compared at 0, 6 and 24 hours in Ham's F10 (76%, 67.8%, 56.6%) versus Testyolk (76%, 67.7%, 58.8%) revealed n o significant differences. There was also no difference in total motil e sperm inseminated and postwash motility in 1,098 samples with Testyo lk versus Ham's F10. This study demonstrates that there is no enhanced pregnancy rate or increased sperm motility when sperm are treated wit h Testyolk Buffer instead of Ham's F10.