Assisted ejaculation combined with in vitro fertilisation: an effective technique treating male infertility due to spinal cord injury.

Infertility due to spinal cord injury (SCI) in males has been identified for decades as an area of major concern and techniques for assisted ejaculation are available. There has not been an overall consensus regarding which type of assisted procreation is the most appropriate for these couples. We describe here our experience from a programme based on assisted ejaculation combined with in vitro fertilization (IVF). Twelve couples have been treated so far and altogether 22 cycles with ovum pick-up have been completed. Fertilisation of the oocytes was obtained in 18 of these cycles. The overall oocyte fertilisation rate was 49%. Embryo transfer took place in 17 cycles, leading to seven clinical pregnancies. Four of the pregnancies are delivered or are ongoing, whereas three ended in first trimester spontaneous abortion. Thus our initial experience suggests that assisted ejaculation in combination with IVF is an effective option for these couples.