Male immunological problems
Both men and women may produce antibodies to sperm, which can interfere with fertilization, but it's mainly a problem for men.
How antibodies affect fertility
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Most important are the antibodies that are attached to the sperm themselves: they can affect the way sperm move and their ability to penetrate a woman's cervical mucus and fertilize the egg. Antibodies can also affect the acrosome - the cap on the head of the sperm, which contains enzymes essential for egg penetration.
How antibodies affect fertility treatments
Antibodies on the surface of the sperm can interfere with in vitro fertilization (IVF) and other kinds of assisted reproduction technology (ART). The antibodies can stop sperm moving and even destroy them. However, the presence of antibodies doesn't necessarily mean that a man can't conceive a child. Many specialists recommend that antibody testing is only carried out in couples with “unexplained infertility”
and who've had all the other tests, because treatment is difficult and associated with serious side effects, so it's only justifiable as a research procedure.
Posted 16.11.2010
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