EFFICACY OF MIXED INSEMINATION

Stanley Friedman, M.D., The Tyler Medical Clinic and UCLA School of Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Los Angeles, California

Abstract submitted to American Fertility Society, 1978

Mixing an oligoasthenospermic husband's semen with that of a donor prior to insemination (AIM) has been criticized since such semen may contain antibodies which could interfere with normal sperm function.

The efficacy of AIM was reviewed in 227 patients who underwent AT with frozen donor semen. Thirty-four patients requested AIM and 13 conceived (38.2%). Seven, who failed to conceive after AIM, changed to AID and 2 conceived. One hundred and ninety-three patients had AID alone and 80 conceived. Thus, 200 patients had AID, with 82 pregnancies (41%). There were no significant differences between the AIM and AID groups with regard to age, prior fertility, and additional infertility factors. The conception rates between groups were' not significantly different. Pregnancy outcome, pregnancy rates per cycle of AT, and drop-out rates were also similar.

This study does not disprove the hypothesis that semen of infertile men may be deleterious to normal sperm. There might have been more conceptions by not performing AIM and with sexual abstinence at the time of insemination. Nevertheless, our success rate is comparable to those reported by others who follow the above procedures, and only by offering AIM or permitting unprotected coitus at insemination time will some couples find donor insemination acceptable.