| Abstract: | This paper explored the experience with sperm-agglutininating antibodies in 168 infertile couples. 2 of the 46 subjects with organic causes for infertility had positive sperm agglutination tests, and neither became pregnant in the 6-18 month followup period. Of the remaining 122 subjects with no organic cause for infertility, 24 (20%) had positive tests (including 13 women with primary infertility and 11 with secondary infertility). 9 of the 24 women (38%) with positive tests became pregnant following condom therapy. There was no correlation between the sperm antibody test and postcoital test, nor between sperm agglutinins and ABO incompatibility. These results suggest that a small number of women have specific reactions against sperm or seminal fluid that inhibit fertility. It is concluded that screening of serum for sperm agglutinins should be continued to provide an estimate of immunologic reactions against semen in cases of infertility. |
