Sperm Penetration Assay (PSA)When
Semen analysis has not found the cause for infertility, Sperm Penetration Assay
may be done to determine whether a man's sperm can penetrate an egg. Sperm are
mixed with hamster eggs that have had the outer membranes removed. The number
of sperm penetrations per egg (sperm capacitation index) is measured. Good SPA
results combined with a favorable semen analysis indicate that the sperm is of
good quality for in vitro fertilization.
This test is also done to evaluate how
the sperm function when semen analysis has shown mild to moderate abnormalities;
to confirm abnormal results from the postcoital test and to test sperm before
doing in vitro fertilization.
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