Anyone had a SCSA test for sperm fragmentation

[NAT025]

Hi Guys
Thanks for all your replies. The test my DH is having done is not performed in my clinc in Perth. DH will have to produce his sample in Perth and then it will be frozen and sent to Sydney for testing. We are currently doing ICSI which does assist in trying to get the best sperm but the test SCSA tests for fragmentations which can't be picked up with out this test. My FS has told my husband to cutt out alcohol and he is taking menevit. So we will see what his results come back as. Fingers crossed thats its all ok. My thoughts are if the sperm had fragmentation and was unable to produce a baby with these abnormalities, then you wouldnt expect a blastocyst to be created would you? As we have two blastocysts

[slyder]

I agree Nat about the blasties, particularly if they are higher grade.

Actually, I read a study the other day where they radiated bovine sperm to damage the DNA, and then used it to fertilise bovine eggs. The eggs fertilised OK and there were the initial couple of cleavages, but further progress halted and out of many embies, only 2 made it to blastocyst. There was also a control group using normal sperm and more blasties were yielded from that group. So whilst it is possible - based on that study - to produce blasties from damaged sperm, the vast majority didn't make it that far.

[NAT025]

Hi Slyder
We currently have one blastie on ice and one we used last month. The one we have on ice is a Grade 2, is this good as I get different views on this grading

[slyder]

Not sure about the grading to be honest, Nat. Our clinic never gave us grades (well not numerically at least) so I don't know what is considered good etc. Someone else is bound to know.

[sushee]

Nat

grade 1 blasts have no or minimal fragmentation and as the number increases, the level of fragmentation increases, so a grade 2 would have some fragmentation, but not a lot. Anything graded a 4 or more won't be used.

But with regards to grading, many women have had success with grade 3 embryos, so I'd not worry too much about the grades myself. )

[NAT025]

Thanks Sushee and to everyone else for your replies. I now have a better understanding, just hope the results come back so I won't have to worry about any of this