Is anyone else suffering from antisperm antibodies?!

[victoria401]

Hi I'm 34 and dh is 36. We've been ttc 18months and dh just had his sperm test results. In a foot note at the bottom, almost the small print!, says presence of antisperm antibodies 'which may affect fertility'. Dh doesn't even remember the GP mentioning that in his telephone appointment yesterday!

Dr Google however pretty much sees this as the end of the road for natural conception! We are feeling really upset and have no idea what to do now. We were due to be referred after 24months ttc but is there any point even trying until then?! What on earth do we do?! Lost :-(

victoria don't panic too much-it's more common than you might think (and almost a given for men who've had a vasectomy and reversal, yet even natural pregnancies can still occur there). So yes, keep trying while you're waiting, you never know!!

Basically, antisperm antibodies can create issues with either the sperms ability to swim properly, or perhaps their ability to recognise the presence of an egg, but depends a lot of how many of the sperm are affected with antibodies (it's not always all) among other things. Does the test give a % with the antisperm antibody result? What was the sperm count (concentration)? What it is most likely to mean is that you'll need to have ICSI treatment if you go down the IVF route, and that should overcome any potential issues in that area. But like I say if there's sperm there, keep trying (if you can bear it) x

Hi bumblebees, thanks for replying....

Stats are....

pH 8.7
Volume 3.2
Concentration 34.9
Total count 111.68 (!)
Progessive motility 52
Normal forms 2
SpermMAR % bound 100

I don't like the sound of that 100....

Do we get bumped up to see a specialist or do we still have to wait until 24months? Told we needed to repeat all my bloods etc within 3 months of referral. GP said dh needed this repeating in 3 months. But 100% is 100% isn't it?

PH seems abit high from what I have read.
My dps was 293 million, but yours I think is lower side of norm.
Think the norm forms is low too? My dps was 6 or 7 can't remember and we were panicked by that.
Sorry I don't know a lot, hope that helps

It's the last two values that are the ones to look at as a potential issue with why you haven't conceived yet (the antibodies and the morphology) the rest is normal.
I'm sorry, I don't know about how referrals work, but given this semen analysis result having identified potential issues, perhaps that will help get things moving. A repeat in 3 months has been suggested as one semen analysis isn't enough to give full confirmation of what's going on, however the antibodies are unlikely to change. And in 3 months your DH will be using sperm from a completely different 'batch' to this lot given the production cycle of sperm.

With antibodies it really depends how they affect the sperm and it's ability to swim towards and fertilise an egg. 100% means that every sperm looked at had apparent antibody coating (the 'guessed' reference is anything over 50% be clinically significant, but nothing set in stone) and this may affect their penetration through cervical mucus, thus making it harder to conceive.

The reference for 'normal' morphology is 4% so your DHs result is a little lower here too.

These two parameters most likely indicate ICSI in your fertility treatment for maximum fertilisation rate, but I would definitely keep trying naturally too, they only lower the chances, not make it a given you won't conceive naturally.

I wish you the best of luck, I know how frustrating/disappointing etc etc TTC is but hope you get your happy ending soon (and a referral in the meantime!) x

Thanks for all your help bumble but at the moment it feels like the bottom has dropped out of my world and I keep randomly crying, and so does dh!

Aww sending hugs...but honestly, please don't see it as hopeless, it's more common than you think (mostly because second marriages post vasectomy are on the increase, and like I said earlier antibodies are pretty much a given in those circumstances!) and it's treatable with ICSI :) it's also NOT a given you won't fall pregnant at some point naturally, but in the interest of time etc you'll have the referral, plus some ttc time while you wait x

Hello Victoria

I normally visit the infertility section of Mumsnet as my husband got diagnosis of 100% abnormal morphology in Dec 2012 and we have been trying ICSI ever since. I was shocked and upset at first so I totally get how you feel right now. So shocked that my periods went haywire for the next three months and I can only put it down to the stress of that diagnosis.

However I am now glad to at least have a medical diagnosis and know what we can do to work around the issue. I remember how frustrated I was at every period that turned up before the diagnosis but at least now I know why. I am in Australia and not sure how your system works, but as age is a facotr in infertility too and your NHS system seems very slow, I would see how soon you can get a referral.

Hi where I am in UK they insist on 2 SA before any referral. Has dr explained the result to dh? My dh had the gp explain it and when apt was over got a print out of results. It was only then when we checked the references we realised major problems. Then had a second test 3 months later to see if same issues. Then a referral to a fertility unit.

Hi Victoria,

I was in the same situation this January, we were TTC since then, my DH went for SA, found 90% ASA. he started taking high volume of Vitamin C. and I got preggo last month.

I do advice the same to help cure ASA a bit atleast to get preggo.

Keep trying, am sure you get good news soon./emo/te/1.gif

Hi I just wanted to jump on this thread as following all of our tests the only issue identified for us not conceiving is apparently 20% antibodies in DH sperm. He immediately purchased the vit c 1000mg as I read this could help and gueria in your case it would seem that way! Congrats!!!! I'm sure you are elated! Do you believe the vit c helped?? Online info is conflicting about this as most sites say antibodies can not be fixed!

IVF has been reccomended for us with a year long waiting list. I just wish, hope and pray for a miracle before then.

I think we might be. DH suffered a tortion in his teens and I have read online that can lead to sperm antibodies. Frustratingly they don't test for that where we live. So far we have had one sperm test that showed concentration of 7mill and 100 percent abnormalities other factors were fine. we are hoping it was a random bad result and he is due a second test in October.

We mentioned the sperm antibodies stuff to the gp and they were very dismissive. I often wonder how much they actually know as I found a lot of information online on very reputable sources.

Anyway, we are only on cycle 7 so I'm hoping it will happen for us naturally. I understand how you feel tho. I went through a very bad spell after we got that news.

Hi. My DH has 90% anti sperm antibodies. He's an ex-professional sportsman and now coaches professionally so I'm guessing that a knock somewhere has caused the antibodies. This issue wasn't picked up until we'd been TTC for 18 months as the first SA my DH had was at a different hospital and I guess they just didn't test for it. We were told that the antibodies would make natural conception more difficult for us but not impossible. We were referred for ICSI on the NHS (IVF is not advisable with antibodies as they affect the sperms ability to both swim and penetrate the egg). However, the waiting list where we live is 18 months and with us being 36 and my AMH being on the low-ish side we just didn't feel we could afford to hang around. We are currently going through our first private ICSI cycle and at the moment we have 5 embryos growing in the lab, 2 of which will hopefully be transferred back today or Monday.
I completely understand the feelings of panic and upset. We got the news about DHs sperm at the same time as we were told that my AMH is on the low side of normal. We'd always assumed that, as we are both fit and healthy, conception would be easy for us and it really did feel like game over. However, in a weird way, after the initial shock, it felt kind of good to have an explanation for why it wasnt working rather than falling in to the 'unexplained' category. At least we now know whats wrong and what can be done about it. Who knows what might have happened if we'd carried on TTC naturally? I hear miracle stories on MN all the time, so please don't give up hope victoria. I wish you all the very best in your journey.