# Should my DH do a SCSA Sperm DNA Test??? - Please Advice



## HR (Sep 13, 2008)

Hi All,

As you all can see from my signature, I have undergone 3 IUI, 3 IVF and 1 FET, all have been BFN.  I have not been pregnant even once in my life.
We are also suffering infertility due to my DH's poor swimmers.  He has poor motility, poor morphology and his count has improved from borderline now.
He has been taking various vitamins for years now, though his count has improved, his motility(40%, none of them are rapid linear, all of them are slow linear) and morphology(10%) remains the same.  I think that his morphology rate is the reason for all our BFNs.  We also did Karyotype testing for both of us, and there seems to be no problem for either of us.

After all the pain and suffering of so many BFNs, I am considering the SCSA sperm DNA test.  But my doc says that it is something to be done only to determine if we need IVF or ICSI and that it could be meaningless to do it now as he thinks we have a good fertilitsation rate in IVF.  We actually tried IVF + ICSI (50+50%) in our first IVF, and the fertilisation rate in IVF was better than the ICSI.  This was a surprise for me, because people who get poor fertilisation result in IVF go for ICSI.  Why would our ICSI fertilisation rate be poorer than IVF rate.  

Has anyone here had the SCSA test done?  What could the results of SCSA be used for?  
I also considering moving on to Donor Sperm.  How do I know when it is the right time to move on to Donor Sperm?
Will this SCSA test result help me in knowing if its right time to move on to Donor sperm?

Please share your experiences... 
-HR


----------



## minimay (Sep 25, 2009)

Hi HR

I'm sorry I dont know the answer to your question. Am interested in the answer though if anyone knows. From a quick web search my understanding is that the SCSA tells you whether to persevere with DH sperm or move onto donor. Is there anywhere in the UK that does this test?

I notice that your having FET on thursday too, this will be my first attempt. Fingers crossed ET on thurs 6th is lucky and brings BFP for both of us    

Good luck 

Mx


----------



## HR (Sep 13, 2008)

Hi Mx,

Thats great to know that you are too having your ET on thursday.  
I live in Denmark and only one lab does this test here.  
My doc here thinks that it is a waste to money to do this test.
I couldn't make a decision if i should go for this test.
I have been posting this question in various threads now and I haven't received much response for this question here.
Looks like not many have done this test here.

Lets see how this cycle is going to be for both of us.  
Are you taking any meds in this cycle?  I will be taking estrogen and progesterone gel in my 2ww.

cheers,
HR


----------



## traace (Feb 4, 2008)

Hi there HR 

I just came across this today - you might find some useful information on it?

http://www.malereproduction.com/sperm_chromatin_structure.html

I'm currently in the 2ww of our first ICSI cycle, MF is our issue too (which is why I've been googling fragmentation!).

I've also thought about getting the fragmentation test done, if we get a BFN then I really think we'll go ahead with it - what's a few hundred quid vs the thousands that we pay for each full IVF or ICSI cycle!!

Best of luck, and lots of        going to you and Minimay for your FET cycles 

xx


----------



## HR (Sep 13, 2008)

Hi traace,

Thank you for your reply and for the link.
I read the article in the link that you gave.
Its quite interesting and explains it in detail than what I have read until now.
I am convinced that we need to do it, but I kept reading different viewpoints in different websites.
But, I think finally that its better to do it now than regret about it at a later point of time.
I need to convince my DH and see what he thinks about this.

I am in 2ww now, but with all my previous experience of these many failed cycles, I know that it has not worked this time too.
There apparently seems to be no reason, no factor seems to be playing a role here, all the time we seem to be having good cycles up until ET, nice lining, nice looking embryos, but they never take off.  Offcourse this article explains what we see under microscope does not talk a lot about the internals of the sperm.  

Good luck in your journey.  I wish you to have a very short journey than mine and get your dreams come true sooner.

-HR


----------



## traace (Feb 4, 2008)

Thanks HR,

I've got my fingers crossed for a nice surprise for you this cycle anyways, sending lots of    and   either way.  Good luck with the SCSA test if you do go ahead with it - let us know how you get on if you have the chance.

xx


----------

