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Some women’s bodies destroy sperm. The attack starts in the cervix, neither of them has a chance to get through, so the couple cannot get offspring.
Dr. Jan Karol Wolski, urologist and consultant for andrology at the Novum Infertility Treatment Clinic, assures that it is certainly not caused by poor mating of the partners. – It is not true that the partner’s mucus has secret knowledge that the owner of the sperm is not suitable for a father – explains the doctor. – Sometimes a man produces antibodies against his own sperm.
Infertility and anti-sperm antibodies
About 10 percent women who have trouble conceiving produce antibodies that destroy their partner’s sperm. Their immune system may have been in contact with sperm before. This could have happened during a vaginal trauma during intercourse. The semen entered the bloodstream and the body treated it as an intruder who had to be destroyed, therefore it produced antibodies.
If, when diagnosing the causes of infertility, it turns out that the quality of the sperm is good, and no abnormalities are found in the woman, it is necessary to check that the partner’s mucus is not killing sperm.
Such a woman should report for such examination up to 14 hours after intercourse in the days preceding ovulation. The amount and mobility of sperm is checked in the collected mucus. If there are no live sperm, the woman is producing antibodies to kill the sperm. Additionally, you can check their level in blood serum.
Administering immunosuppressive drugs
Treatment of this ailment is difficult and it is dealt with by specialized gynecologists-immunologists. Therapy, incl. consists in administering immunosuppressive drugs to women, similar to those given to patients after transplantation (e.g. steroids). These drugs suppress the immune system so that it does not destroy the sperm cells. – This does not mean that the woman’s body is defenseless against all microorganisms and germs at that time – explains Dr. Wolski. – The drugs are administered shortly and in small doses so as not to harm the patient’s health – he adds. The mechanism of embryo rejection is also effectively weakened by vaccination of the woman with partner’s white blood cells, i.e. lymphocytes.
Insemination treatment
The therapy can be supported by insemination, i.e. by administering selected and properly prepared sperm into the uterine cavity through a special catheter. This method allows you to bypass the mucus barrier and the antibodies found there. Before insemination, a woman is hormonally stimulated with injections to produce more eggs. The man donates semen for insemination on the day of the woman’s ovulation. He must remember to exercise sexual abstinence during the five days preceding the procedure. After collection, the sperm is rinsed in special fluids to remove components that may cause an attack of the woman’s immune system.
The introduction of semen into the uterus is practically painless. It takes 10-20 minutes. After the procedure, the patient has to lie down for 10 minutes, which means everything takes about half an hour. She shouldn’t be doing any heavy work that day. The cost of insemination ranges from PLN 600 to PLN 800.
– If a woman misses a period 14-16 days after insemination (i.e. at the time of her normal period), she can do a pregnancy test. On average, the effectiveness of insemination is estimated at 10-15%. It is not a lot, but it means that every sixth / eighth pair will succeed – says Dr. Wolski. Text: Halina Pilonis