Cryopreservation of the occasionally improved semen samples for intrauterine insemination: a new approach in the treatment of idiopathic male infertility.
OBJECTIVE: To assess the value of treating idiopathic male infertility by intrauterine insemination (IUI) of the occasionally improved cryopreserved semen. DESIGN: Two groups of idiopathic oligospermic patients were chosen at random and treated by IUI using processed fresh semen in group A and the best available cryopreserved semen samples pooled with fresh samples in group B. SETTING: Egyptian IVF-ET Centre, Maadi, CAiro, Egypt. PATIENTS, PARTICIPANTS: One hundred fifty infertile couples because of idiopathic oligoasthenospermia. INTERVENTION: Intrauterine insemination. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: The pregnancy rate was evaluated after an average of three treatment cycles. RESULTS: The pregnancy rate (PR) was significantly higher in group B when compared with group A. The improvement in the PR was highly significant in the subgroup of patients for whom reasonable semen samples could be collected and cryopreserved. CONCLUSIONS: Our study indicates that IUI with fresh semen pooled with cryopreserved occasionally improved semen samples for the treatment of oligoasthenospermia results in an improved PR.