PROGNOSTIC VALUE OF OBJECTIVE SEMEN PARAMETERS IN AN IN-VITRO FERTILIZATION PROGRAM

Purpose: The basic semen parameters seem to have a limited predictive value in male fertility. Could other objective sperm analyses be helpf ul in the choice of the most adapted assisted procreation technique? M ethods: This study concerns 78 infertile couples with insemination fai lures. For each semen, 21 objective parameters are analyzed in fresh s emen and after sperm selection procedure. The 78 couples are then incl uded in an IVF protocol and classified into two groups: fertile (at le ast one cleaved embryo is obtained) and infertile. Results: Using mult iple variant discriminant factorial analysis, we have found nine nonco nventional parameters which induce us to define two classes of semen. These two classes fit with the classification into fertile and inferti le groups in 74.4% of the cases. Conclusions: So these parameters allo w us to predict the chance of obtaining embryos during an IVF trial an d to choose for each couple the most appropriate technique: IVF or ICS I.