Evaluation of in vitro sperm penetration testing of 176 infertile couples with the use of ejaculates and cervical mucus from donors

Abstract

One hundred seventy-six couples with an abnormal postcoital test were investigated with the use of a series of Kremer tests in which each partner was also tested with a donor. There was a significant difference in Kremer test results between healthy donors and the partners in infertile marriages. When each partner was tested with a donor, the scores of the male partners were poorer than the scores of the female partners. The crossed comparisons of semen and mucus from patients and donors indicated that male factors (e.g., sperm concentration and sperm motility) were related to a poor couple score in the infertile couples. The use of donor secretions also allowed identification of incompatible couples in whom the partners had excellent Kremer test results with the respective donors.