A low cost short-term sperm preservation procedure for double IUI in controlled ovarian hyperstimulation cycles

Unavailability of the male partner during double Intrauterine Insemination (dIUI) often poses a problem when there is a requirement for semen collection on two consecutive days. Ejaculatory disorder may be another limiting factor. Cryopreservation, though a popular option, is known to adversely affect sperm parameters. A low-cost short-term sperm preservation technique is proposed. Material and Methods: 180 out of 570 couples undergoing IUI were randomly selected to evaluate the efficacy of the new preservation technique (Group A). One part of the semen sample was processed for immediate insemination (pre ovulatory day 1 IUI); the other part was preserved under liquid paraffin for 18 hours for post ovulatory-day 2 IUI. 386 couples undergoing routine dIUI where fresh semen ejaculates were collected on two consecutive days were considered as controls (Group B). Semen parameters, reactive oxygen species (ROS) and acrosomal integrity (AI) were assessed on day 1 and day 2 in both the groups. Primary outcome measure included pregnancy rate per IUI cycle. Results: Count, motility, ROS levels, DNA damage and AI did not shown any significantly difference on day 2 following preservation under liquid paraffin as compared to day 1 in Group A. No significant differences were observed on comparing count, motility and AI in Group B. However, DNA damage and ROS levels were significantly affected in day 2 ejaculates of the control group. Clinical pregnancy rate per cycle was comparable in Group A (10.9%), Group B (11.7%). Conclusions: This new preservation method for dIUI appears to be a promising alternative to the conventional cryopreservation technique.