Sperm penetration of cervical mucus as a criterion of male fertility.

Abstract

Semen samples were examined from 51 fertile men, and from the male partners in 283 infertile marriages. In addition to routine analysis, they were tested for sperm penetration through ovulatory cervical mucus, using the method of Kremer with slight modifications. Comparison of the 2 groups in regard to semen properties showed statistically significant differences between the means for density, percentage of living, motile and abnormal spermatozoa, for motility degree, and for sperm penetration. No significant difference between the means was found for volume, content of fructose and acid phosphatase in the seminal plasma. In the entire series a moderate correlation was found between sperm penetration and percentage of motile spermatozoa, motility degree, density, percentage of living and percentage of abnormal spermatozoa. A low correlation was found between sperm penetration and volume, content of fructose or acid phosphatase in seminal plasma. The variance of sperm penetration due to regression of the other semen properties was only 43%. Sperm penetration had the highest discriminant function coefficient of the tested semen properties. Semen samples from fertile men had high penetration values although other semen properties were sometimes pathological. The sperm penetration test is a most valuable supplement to routine semen analysis for male fertility estimation.