Influence of microbial colonization on sperm-mucus interaction in vivo and in vitro*

Two-hundred-and-thirty-three asymptomatic couples with a meanduration of infertility of 5 years were submitted to postcoitaltesting (PT) and to sperm penetration meter test (SPMT) andsimultaneous microbial screening. Cervical swabs and semen specimenswere collected for culture of Mycophma homink, Ureaphma urealyticum,Chlamydia tmhomufis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, other potentiallypathogenic and commensal aerobic and anaerobic bacteria, herpessimplex virus, vaginal swabs for Trichomonas vaginalis and yeasts.Results of microbial screening were analysed with regard tosperm penetration ability into wives' cervical mucus in vivoand in vitro, but no marked influence was revealed for mostmicmrganisms. Samples of only one of the 233 couples provedto be completely sterile. The findings suggest that in asymptomaticpatients microbial colonization is of minor importance for sperm-mucusinteraction.