Antisperm antibody testing may provide answers if you’re struggling to conceive

As you start to learn more about infertility, you quickly realize that many different issues can cause it. Most patients are familiar with infertility causes like a low sperm count or irregular ovulation. However, some problems, such as the presence of antisperm antibodies, are less familiar. Our Newport Beach fertility center offers testing to identify both common and less-common infertility causes. As a result, your doctor may order antisperm antibody testing.

What are antisperm antibodies?

You’re not alone if you haven’t heard of antisperm antibodies until now. This is a less common cause of infertility that occurs when a person’s body views sperm as an invader. In response, the immune system creates antisperm antibodies to destroy the sperm. If enough of these antibodies reach the sperm, it can make egg fertilization difficult or even impossible.

This issue is what doctors refer to as immunologic infertility. It means an issue with the immune system makes it more difficult to conceive.

It’s important to understand that both men and women can produce antisperm antibodies.

• In men, testicular injuries and surgeries, as well as prostate infections, can cause sperm to come into contact with the immune system. This leads to the creation of antisperm antibodies.
• A woman can have an allergic reaction to her partner’s sperm, causing her body to produce antisperm antibodies to destroy the sperm. It is rare for a woman to have this type of reaction, but it can happen.

Because people of either sex can make these antibodies, antisperm antibody testing is available to both men and women at our Newport Beach fertility center.

Antisperm antibody testing can help identify this problem and make pregnancy possible

To find out whether antisperm antibodies are making it more difficult for you to conceive, your doctor may order this form of testing. Specifically, your doctor may order this testing in cases of unexplained infertility or unclear test results.

The antisperm antibody testing process is simple. A woman will provide a blood sample, while a man will provide a semen sample. In the laboratory, professionals will look for the presence of antisperm antibodies in the blood or semen.

If these antibodies are present in your sample, fertility treatment can help. Andrologists can add special solutions to the sperm to prevent the antibodies from causing problems. Then, you can move forward with intrauterine insemination (IUI) or in vitro fertilization (IVF) so that you can bring home a healthy baby.

If you’d like to learn more about how our Newport Beach fertility center can help you on your path to parenthood, contact us to schedule an appointment. We can help you find hope in the form of effective treatment and compassionate care.