Objective: To demonstrate that the use of donor sperm leads to varying outcome rates and that its use has evolved.
Design: Retrospective observational cohort study.
Setting: University-affiliated private IVF setting.
Patient(s): Women (2,934) undergoing donor insemination (DI) or IVF with donor sperm (IVF-D).
Intervention(s): None.
Main outcome measurement(s): We evaluated the distribution of the clinical indications for the use of donated sperm, studying the reproductive outcome.
Result(s): A total of 1,663 DI (57%) and 1,271 IVF-D (43%) were performed. There were significant differences in the indications for the use of donated sperm (DI vs. IVF-D). Regarding pregnancy rates (PR), cases of nonobstructive azoospermia presented the highest rate (29.1%), whereas cases of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) failures and single women showed rates of 27.6% and 22.6%, respectively. Meanwhile, patients with ICSI failures achieved the highest PRs in IVF cycles (48.7%), whereas nonobstructive azoospermia and single women showed rates of 42.0% and 38.2%, respectively. There have been significant increases in the use of donated sperm in single women.
Conclusion(s): Single women, which also represented the oldest group, show a lower probability of achieving pregnancy, and thus represent a subfertile population. Associated factors could include advanced maternal age.
Copyright © 2011 American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.