UNEXPLAINED INFERTILITY? How about anti-sperm antibodies?

[naditude]

I have posted on Bubbly's IUI diary too as that is what we thought our next step was (IUI). Just thought I'd post a new one in the hope that someone may know about these antibodies.

However, if you have been told "You're ovulating, your tubes are fine, his sperm is 5 star, its just UNEXPLAINED, keep bd'ing" then you may want a more detailed sperm test. We didn't know that these were available. If we had known earlier, it would have saved years of trying for us.

There is an explanation for everything after all.

Last Saturday, we went to Bupa for appointment to plan IUI. Smashing. We were looking forward to it, both very positive. We had both had to have HIV and HEP b and c tests, and of course DP had to give a sample for a swim up test to test the suitability for IUI. Went into the little room, coffee, pleasantries etc, lovely!

THEN he hit us with it!! "Sorry, your swim up test showed that your sperm is covered with anti-sperm antibodies (85% to be precise) so the only option available to you will be IVF with ICSI (a more invasive and expensive treatment), and the success rate for that will be about 15 per cent successful."

We hadn't even thought about anything like this happening. We had gone there to plan IUI! Had my diary and everything! I started crying! Used all of his tissues up! DP was in shock. Put a brave face on it though. We had never heard of these antibodies.

We left in total shock with the cons telling DP "You're no less of a man" and "Let me know if you want to go through with it." HE gave us the ?120 session FREE!

I was relieved at first as it explains why we have not got pg after four years! I thought I was going mad - all those bloody head stands!!! And it meant I could go home and have a large glass of wine without feeling guilty for a change! Which I did. We got home just before 1pm, I had a stiff drink, DP went to the gym! (We cope with our stresses in very different ways!) In our 7 years together, I have never seen him cry until we left that room at the clinic.

I am left feeling very angry at the fact that this could have been detected before now. Is it a matter of money? This more detailed testing should be available to everyone before they confidently diagnose UNEXPLAINED INFERTILITY!

We are not entitled to NHS IVF as I already have a son from a previous relationship. Which also bugs me as DP doesn't have any so he should be entitled to some sort of help. (It costs about ?4,500 a go!)

So, there you have it. We have started the ball rolling already. We have told both of our bosses, who were nice and supportive (as it involves time off work for me) DP has to have 2 more tests, (Karyotype and Cystic Fibrosis). They take 6 weeks to come back. So, we could have that BFP for Christmas!!

Sorry this has been such an essay but it's great to tell you all as only me and DP know whats going on. Haven't told our fams yet.

So, if anyone has had experience with IVF with ICSI or experience of anti-sperm antibodies - please let me know. Its off to the IVF thread for me (if there is one).

Thanks for listening!

Naditude
TTC 4 years, 32, part-time smoker, ds 14, UNEXPLAINED INFERTILTY - MY A*SE!!!!

Hi Naditude - I really feel for you. You must be so mad that the anti-serm antibodies were not found sooner.

I'm 43 and my DH 31 and we are starting fertility treatment. Because I am over 40 we have to pay for it. I think we should have a campaign for free treatments for men/couples and the criteria not just based on women.

Because of my age related infertility we decided to give IUI a couple of goes. First attempt will be next week but only 2 weeks ago the clinic decided to do their full sperm test and DH sperm came back with 50-60% antibodies. 40% is considered to be the upper limit.

The problem is that clinics ask you to do tests by the NHS to save you money, just before treatment the private clinics do the more detailed tests. I had a miscarriage last year so we know some sperm got through. But after this IUI attempt we only have time for one more cycle before I turn 44 so we may consider ICSI if I produce enough eggs.

PS - sorry for the more personal advice but if you could giving up smoking completely would also help. I'm afraid smokers have a poor success rates when it comes to fertility treatments

Your post is very important and am glad you have typed it for others to see.

One of my great bugbears is when couples are diagnosed with "unexplained infertility". It is actually no diagnosis at all - all this means is that they have failed to find out what is wrong.
Sometimes as well this "diagnosis" is given to couples when people have not been adequately investigated.

Perhaps the following will be helpful, one of my books has a whole chapter on what is called "partner to partner" allergies.

It is difficult to diagnose immunologic infertility. For most women, an immunologic problem will show up in the blood by virtue of the prescence of sperm antibodies, but both blood and cervical mucus should be tested. Blood tests are difficult to perform from a technical standpoint, because they require the performance of highly comlex assays and therefore need special labs dedicated to fertility testing.

Post coital testing may have detected this problem far earlier; if after intercourse the sperm in the cervical mucus are alive and active, neither the man or the woman has an immunologic incompatibility. On the other hand, if the sperm are absent, wesk or destroyed, either he or his partner has mounted an immune reaction against them. Both the man's blood and the woman's blood are tested, although it is not always possible to tell whose body is responsible for the immune reaction. It is acutally more common for a man's body to reject his own sperm.

One of the ways to counteract the problem of sperm antibodies in cervical mucus is to take the sperm and "capacitate" it by washing with a specially formulated salt solution that can remove impurities (the antigenic proteins) that may be at the root of the problem.

If either the man produces antibodies against his own sperm, or the woman does, drug treatment is often recommended. Steroid drugs similar to cortisone are commonly given and can also be given to women who have antibodies against sperm and for whom condom use has not helped.

IVF is also another option which you are already aware of.

I hope the above has been helpful to you

With best wishes

Attila

What a punch in the stomach Naditude. I have friends who TTC for 10 years with unexplained fertility. Wonder if this could have been their problem too. They now have a beautiful 6 year old DD conceived through IVF - first attempt.

I too have a child conceived through IVF - DS is now 5 and i have just started another cycle. Our infertility is due to DH's low sperm-count so different to yours.

Just wanted to reassure you that IVF/ICSI is not as bad as some magazine articles I have read seem to indicate. I am in Budapest and the whole cycle here takes 2 weeks. Much less than when I had my son and did IVF 6 years ago. Not sure what protocol they use in UK but am sure it is similar to here.

Hope this may reassure you in some way. Good luck.

Budababe -

Thanks very much for your good luck message. How great it would be for the whole process to be a short one!

Still waiting for the test results (karyotype & cystic fibrosis) to come back. We were told that would be 6-8 weeks!

A quick question to anyone in the know...why is it just DP to have the tests? Should I be having them too?!

Thanks, and good luck to all!