Further evaluation of the split ejaculate for artificial insemination.
The role of artificial insemination with husband semen (AIH) in solving fertility problems has been studied by many investigators. Different conclusions have been made due to the variety of indications for AIH. This communication attempts to evaluate the use of the best split ejaculate fraction for AIH in 55 couples in which the only pathological condition was oligozoospermia or oligoasthenozoospermia. Couples in which the women had a known history of anatomical abnormalities were excluded. Although the seminal parameters of spermatozoal density and/or motility in the best split fractions were frequently found to be in the fertile range, the pregnancy rate achieved was only 18% (n = 10). This was comparable to the results obtained by others using whole ejaculates for AIH. The spontaneous pregnancy rate in the present study after termination of treatment was 13% (n = 6). The observations suggest that men with a long-standing history of seminal deficiency produce spermatozoa with a pathology that cannot be microscopically recognized.