Two groups of men were retrospectively selected according to their observed success in in-vitro fertilization. Seminal and post-migration sperm samples from a low fertilization rate group (less than or equal to 33% cleaved embryos) have been compared to results obtained from a high fertilization rate group (greater than or equal to 66%). It was found that a low mean value of the amplitude of lateral sperm head displacement and an increased percentage of abnormal acrosomes were related to in-vitro fertilization failure. None of the individual sperm factors studied was found to determine in-vitro fertilization success with certainty; only when they were considered in combination was it possible to predict the likelihood of successful in-vitro fertilization of human oocytes.

Summary Semen specimens from 519 men were cultured for organisms 2 weeks before oocyte recovery for in‐vitro fertilization (IVF). The cultures from 72 men contained more than 5000 bacteria/ml and the IVF attempt was postponed. The IVF outcome was assessed in 382 couples in relation to the semen culture result. The pregnancy rate per cycle was significantly reduced when the semen culture contained organisms compared with axenic semen (P<0‐05). This was independent of the cleavage rate of oocytes and the number of embryos transferred. Although mycoplasma was frequently cultured, chlamydial infection was very rare and no viruses were isolated in this study.

Oocyte recovery in an in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET) program can be performed by laparoscopy or by sonography. Most IVF teams use either one or the other of these methods. In Clamart, we undertook 407 IVF attempts from September 1983 to March 1984, 225 by laparoscopy under general anesthesia, 97 by laparoscopy under local anesthesia, and 85 by sonography. Excluding the recovery techniques, all aspects of the program (ovulation monitoring, culture, and transfer) were identical in order to study the effects of the anesthesia and the ultrasound. We did not find any significant difference in pregnancy rates, inclusive of biochemical pregnancies, among these three recovery methods, although ultrasonically guided puncture gave fewer follicles, oocytes, and embryos than laparoscopy.

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