I went to have my first IUI last week and my doctor could not get my husband's sperm to liquefy. Just what does that mean? Is there anything we can do to prevent this happening again next time? --Cathy

After the semen is released it normally forms a jelly-like clot to help it adhere to the cervix. After about 20 minutes chemicals in the semen and the mucus help dissolve the clot and allow the sperm to enter gradually through the cervical canal. Occasionally the semen remains in this jelly-like state, making entry into the cervix more difficult. This may be due to an infection in one of the male glands, such as the prostate or seminal vesicles. Most often, though, no specific cause is identified, and therefore there is really nothing you can do improve the situation.

Your doctor has several options, however. Drawing the semen into a syringe through a needle will often break up the jelly-like clot enough to process the semen. While some physicians will use various chemicals or enzymes to digest the clot, I am concerned that this method may damage protein binding sites on the sperm that are necessary for fertilization. Instead, I find that I can often get a sufficient sample by incubating the semen with nutrients or performing advanced sperm separation procedures before insemination.