Sperm donation: an alternative to improve post-ICSI live birth rates in advanced maternal age patients

STUDY QUESTION: Can sperm donation increase live birth rates following ICSI in advanced maternal age (AMA) patients? SUMMARY ANSWER: Sperm donation increases the live birth rate in AMA ICSI cycles. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY: In ICSI practice, sperm donation has been predominantly applied to overcome male infertility. The involvement of paternal age and lower sperm quality in the severe reduction in fertility observed in AMA patients remains to be clarified. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION: Retrospective multicenter cohort study including data generated between 2015 and 2019 from 755 ICSI cycles achieving a fresh embryo transfer, of which 337 were first homologous cycles (normozoospermic partner sperm and homologous oocytes) and 418 were first sperm donation cycles (donor sperm and homologous oocytes). The association of sperm origin (partner vs donor) with live birth was assessed by multivariate analysis in non-AMA (<37 years, n = 278) and AMA (≥37 years, n = 477) patients, separately, including in the model all variables previously found to be associated with live birth in a univariate analysis (number of MII oocytes recovered, number of embryos transferred, and maternal age). ICSI outcomes were compared between sperm donation and homologous cycles in overall, non-AMA and AMA patients. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS: The study was conducted in three fertility clinics and included 755 Caucasian patients aged 24-42 years undergoing their first homologous or sperm donation ICSI cycle achieving a fresh embryo transfer. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE: The multivariate analysis revealed that sperm donation was positively associated with the likelihood of a live birth independently of all other variables tested in AMA (P = 0.02), but not in non-AMA patients. Live birth, delivery, and miscarriage rates differed substantially between sperm donation and homologous AMA cycles; live birth and delivery rates were 70-75% higher (25.4% vs 14.5% and 22.5% vs 13.5%, respectively; P < 0.01), while miscarriage occurrence was less than half (18.0% vs 39.5%; P < 0.01) in sperm donation compared to homologous AMA cycles. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION: This study is limited by its retrospective nature, differences in patients profiles between sperm donation and homologous-control groups and varying proportion of donor cycles between fertility centers, although these variations have been controlled for in the statistical analysis. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS: The findings suggest that sperm donation increases live birth rates while reducing miscarriage occurrence in AMA patients, and thus may be a valid strategy to improve ICSI outcomes in this growing and challenging patient group.N/A.