Intrauterine insemination-ready versus conventional semen cryopreservation for donor insemination: a comparison of retrospective results and a prospective, randomized trial.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To compare fecundity rates following intrauterine insemination (IUI) with donor sperm frozen conventionally versus an IUI-ready preparation. DESIGN: Both retrospective results and a prospective, randomized study where recipients were assigned to one of two sperm cryopreservation methods in each cycle of intrauterine insemination are reported. SETTING: University-based infertility practice, affiliated private practices, and andrology laboratory. PATIENT(S) Women desiring therapeutic insemination in an effort to establish pregnancy. INTERVENTION(S) Intrauterine insemination with donor sperm frozen conventionally or by an IUI-ready protocol. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S) Cycle fecundity in donor IUI recipients. RESULT(S) In a retrospective analysis involving 642 inseminations in 209 recipients, 79 pregnancies were recorded for an overall pregnancy rate of 12.3% per insemination (or cycle) 11.3% with IUI-ready sperm and 13.9% with conventionally preserved sperm. In a follow-up prospective, randomized study, the pregnancy rate for IUI-ready sperm preparations was 36% per cycle (14 of 39) whereas that for conventionally preserved sperm was 19.6% per cycle (9 of 46). Thirteen of the 23 pregnancies occurred in the first study cycle of insemination; only two pregnancies were observed in patients undergoing more than four cycles of insemination. CONCLUSION(S) Cycle fecundity for IUI-ready donor sperm is equivalent to conventional cryopreserved sperm based on both prospective and retrospective assessments.