Sperm penetration assay

Sperm penetration tests check to see if a man's sperm can move through cervical mucus and the fallopian tubes to join with fertilize an egg. This test is usually done when a couple is having trouble getting pregnant infertility. Talk to your doctor about any concerns you have about the need for the test, its risks, how it will be done, or what the results will mean. To help you understand the importance of this test, fill out the medical test information form.

The limited predictive value of semen analysis in achieving natural conception or in IVF outcome confirms the need for sperm function tests to determine optimal management. Males with normal or slightly abnormal semen profiles could benefit by this intervention and could be evaluated prior to referral to assisted reproduction. HZA should be used in a sequential fashion with semen analysis and potentially other bioassays in an IVF setting. The latter together with the lasting debate over sperm quality and density decline [ 4 — 7 ] intensifies the need for accurate and rapid evaluation of sperm function in assisting clinical decisions, that is, whether natural conception is feasible or medical support should be sought for reproduction, taking the age of the woman and the duration of infertility into account. Semen analysis is the basis of primary male investigation, and in certain cases, such as in severe oligozoospermia, semen parameters are of absolute importance and should be strongly considered in clinical management by implementing the World Health Organization WHO and the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology ESHRE guidelines and recommendations [ 8 ]. However, the limited predictive value of semen analysis in achieving natural conception or in assisted reproductive technology ART outcome such as in in vitro fertilization IVF [ 9 — 12 ] confirms the need for sperm function tests, as well as in cases of oligoasthenoteratozoospermia or idiopathic infertility when knowledge of sperm functional capacity is a requisite for determining optimal management. The sperm penetration assay SPA was introduced by Yanagimachi et al.

Sperm penetration tests check to see if a man's sperm can move through cervical mucus and the fallopian tubes to join with fertilize an egg. This test is usually done when a couple is having trouble getting pregnant infertility. There are different sperm penetration tests. Sperm penetration tests may be done:.

In a laboratory sperm is joined with prepared hamster eggs. The number of penetrated eggs is measured to ensure the sperm is undergoing the necessary physiologic changes for fertilization. The hamster eggs are chemically treated to allow normal human sperm to penetrate them. Prepared sperm are incubated with hamster eggs; if the sperm is functioning correctly, it will be able to penetrate the eggs.