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Antibody Studies (ASA)

The human body normally produces antibodies to foreign agents such as virus or bacteria. Sometimes the female's immune system mistakes sperm for one of these invaders and tries to destroy it.

When this happens the sperm cannot reach and penetrate the egg. There are a variety of specific antibody studies that identify this type of aberrant reaction. These studies are done on blood from both the male and the female, cervical mucus from the female, and/or seminal fluid from the male. Some of these tests must be sent to specialized laboratories and require several weeks for the results to return.

If an antibody response is identified appropriate treatment can be undertaken. This might involve the use of drugs or ART.

Sperm Penetration Assay (Hamster Egg Test)

The penetration of specially prepared hamsters eggs by the male's spermatozoa is compared to the penetration of normal donor sperm.

There is good correlation between the sperms ability to penetrate a hamster egg and the human egg. The penetration can be directly observed and measured by using the hamster model. A repetitively abnormal test may implicate a sperm anomaly as a cause of unexplained infertility.

The test normally require two to four weeks to complete.