Effect of Bacterial Detection in Gametes on IVF-ET Pregnancy Outcome

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the distribution of bacteria in the reproductive tract and semen during in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET), and to explore the detection of bacteria in the semen and vaginal fornix and assess its effect on pregnancy outcome. STUDY DESIGN: Bacteria in the posterior vaginal fornix or semen of 76 patients were cultured for bacterial identification, and the respective distributions were analyzed. Bacteria in follicular fluid after oocyte retrieval and in semen samples after treatment were cultured Assisted reproductive technologies for bacterial identification, and the efficiencies of bacterial removal by sperm treatment or oocyte retrieval were analyzed. Patients were grouped according to their detection results, and pregnancy outcomes of the two groups were compared after IVF-ET. RESULTS: Some bacteria remained in sterilized semen and the posterior fornix. Large numbers of bacteria were removed after the semen treatment and the oocyte retrieval (p<0.05). There were no significant differences in both the quality of embryos and pregnancy outcome between the two groups (p>0.05). CONCLUSION: A large number of bacteria could be removed by semen processing. Oocyte retrieval via vaginal fornix puncture could prevent bacteria from entering the follicular fluid. moreover, normal flora in the vaginal fornix and semen do not affect pregnancy outcome in the process of IVF-ET.