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Abstract
Homologous artificial insemination (A1H) followed by postinsemination cervical mucus test (PIT) was performed in 100 couples in a prospective study to evaluate suspected cervical or male factor infertility. A portion of the ejaculate was submitted for standard semen analysis as well as turbidimetric analysis of sperm velocity. In a review of 333 cases evaluated for infertility, the average sperm velocity in a normal semen analysis was 96.5 μ/sec, for those with normal postcoital test (PCT) 96.6 μ/sec, and in those that established a pregnancy 91.6 μ/sec. These are significantly higher than the values obtained for abnormal semen analysis and abnormal PCT (64.6 and 63.6 μ/sec, respectively; p < 0.001).
Patients with normal PIT (WHO criteria for normal PCT consisting of ≥ 7 motile sperm/hpf) had sperm velocity of 87 μ/sec compared to velocities of 46 μ/sec for abnormal PIT (p < 0.001). Four of the five patients with abnormal PIT (in spite of normal semen analysis and normal cervical mucus) had sperm velocities < 75 μ/sec. Likewise, all 8 patients who had normal PIT in spite of abnormal semen analysis had sperm velocities > 75 μ/sec, even though the sperm motility was below normal in 5 of them. Sperm velocity is a more sensitive indicator of sperm function when compared to standard semen analysis results.