A Survey on Main Semen Parameters in Natural Pregnancy and Intrauterine Insemination: Are There Any Significant Differences

Background and Aim : Intrauterine insemination (IUI) is a treatment of choice compared with otherinvasive and expensive techniques of assisted reproduction. Sperm quality is used to predict its outcomeand success. Establishing threshold levels for sperm parameters is useful to avoid spending time and moneyto do other assisted reproductive techniques. This study was carried out to compare various semenparameters in a group of men eligible to participate in an IUI program with those of fertile men whosewives were pregnant at the time of the study.Methods : Two hundred and thirty-four semen samples were evaluated from subfertile men whose partnerswere candidates for IUI and 234 semen samples were evaluated from fertile men whose partners werepregnant less than 12 weeks. To assess the sensitivity and specificity of the main semen parameters, receiveroperating characteristic (ROC) curves were used. Normal sperm morphology is more sensitive and specificcompared with its progressive motility and concentration.Results : No significant differences in various semen parameters of fertile men and those of the malepartners of IUI candidates were observed. ROC analysis identified that sperm normal morphology usingstrict criteria may be a good indicator of fertility status in men.Conclusion : No significant difference in various semen parameters between the male partners of IUIcandidates and the fertile men was seen. However, utilizing ROC curves, sperm morphology using strictcriteria could be a good predictor of fertility.

Keywords:

assisted reproduction , intrauterine insemination , semen parameters , Isfahan