The effect of patient and semen characteristics on live birth rates following intrauterine insemination: a retrospective study.

PurposeTo identify characteristics of female patients and of semen that were associated with live birth following intrauterine insemination (IUI).MethodsRetrospective review of medical and laboratory results from 533 women who underwent IUI with partner's sperm from 1993 through 1995.ResultsAmong 1728 cycles, 116 (6.7%) resulted in live deliveries. Among the 38 patient and semen variables analyzed, only 3 were associated with successful IUI outcome: female age < 37.7 years at the time of treatment (P = 0.02); the absence of any corrective pelvic surgery (P < 0.001); and postwash sperm motility (P = 0.006). Couples with none of these three risk factors achieved per-cycle pregnancy rates of 12.4%. Women with two risk factors (age and pelvic surgery) achieved per-cycle pregnancy rates of 4.6% when sperm had good postwash motility. No pregnancies were achieved when low postwash motility was combined with any other risk factor.ConclusionsAdvanced female age, poor postwash sperm motility, and a history of corrective pelvic surgery are significant risk factors for poor IUI success rates. Poor postwash sperm motility in combination with either of these other two risk factors resulted in no successful pregnancies.