Research Notebook

Prognostic factors for pregnancy success with donor semen

A retrospective study was conducted in 305 couples undergoing intrauterine insemination with donor sperm in a university-affiliated infertility clinic to identify factors that are associated with pregnancy. The standard ovarian stimulation protocol involved the administration of 100mg of clomiphene citrate from cycle days 3 to 7 and 75 IU of gonadotropin on cycle days 8 and 9. HCG (10,000 IU) was administered when follicles were mature. The overall clinical pregnancy rate was 22.3% per cycle. After reviewing and analyzing the data from 1131 treatment cycles, the following factors were identified as having good prognosis for a successful outcome:

• The presence of at least two mature follicles on ultrasound scanning.
• Insemination between days 13 and 16 of the cycle.
• Confirmation that ovulation had occurred at the time of insemination.
• Female age under 30 years.
   

Although the highest pregnancy rate was observed in the first treatment cycle, the rates remained high and acceptable for the first six cycles and dropped off thereafter suggesting that the treatment plan be re-evaluated if no pregnancy occurs after six cycles of treatment with this regimen.

(Further information can be obtained from the publication in Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand 2001, 80:342-348)

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