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Sperm penetration tests
The sperm penetration test (or hamster test)
measures the ability of the sperm to undergo capacitation, the
process that enables it to penetrate the ovum. The test is
sometimes performed when other tests have failed to elicit a reason
for male infertility. It is also carried out to evaluate the
fertilising capacity of men with very low sperm count, and used
routinely as a screening procedure at many clinics prior to in
vitro fertilisation.
In this test, incubated sperms are mixed with
hamster eggs, which have had their outer coat removed. Sperm from a
fertile man are always utilised as a positive control. The result
of the test is expressed as the percentage of hamster oocytes
penetrated and is normally about 60%. Because there is a great deal
of variation in egg penetration in each individual, the test is
best scored as either positive (penetration occurred) or negative
(no penetration). About 40% of males with otherwise unexplained
infertility are found to have a negative hamster test, but the test
is not a reliable indicator of fertility or
infertility.
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