may ask for more than one sample. They are best done a minimum of 4 weeks apart. Your physician will discuss the results with you.
Sperm Wash (sperm preparation for insemination)
This procedure allows a more specific assessment of how sperm will “behave” when being used for an insemination. A sperm wash for an assessment is the same type of processing sperm undergo when being prepared to be used in artificial insemination. Sperm washing separates sperm cells from a male’s semen to rid slow moving or dead sperm, or any other factors that may impair fertilization.
Sperm must be washed in order to be used for insemination as semen cannot be inserted directly into a woman’s uterus because it contains proteins that must be washed out first. These proteins can cause severe pain and cramping. In the natural situation, these proteins remain in the cervix and vagina and only the sperm swim up into the uterus.
How to Prepare for a Sperm Wash?
Preparation for a sperm wash is the same as for a semen analysis.
How it is Done
There are three commonly-used sperm washing techniques.
Simple Sperm Wash
Sperm is diluted in a test tube with a special solution of antibiotics and protein supplements. Then it’s placed into a centrifuge – a machine that spins at extremely high speeds. As the sperm is spun, sperm cells fall to the bottom, producing a mass of high activity sperm that can be removed and used in an insemination.
Density Gradient Sperm Wash
A test tube is filled with multiple layers of liquids of different densities. The semen is then placed on top and the test tube is spun in the centrifuge. After it is spun, healthy active sperm will make its way to the bottom of the test tube, while debris and dead sperm will be caught in the first two layers. These two layers can be siphoned off to remove the dead sperm leaving the healthy sperm to be used in the insemination.
Swim Up Technique
To retrieve the powerful sperm necessary in fertilization, semen is placed in a culture dish with a layer of media culture. Sperm is attracted to this culture and will swim up to it. As the sperm swims up to the culture, it is collected.
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