Main description:

Andrology, a counterpart to gynecology, deals with the study of the male reproductive organs. Clinical andrology has been neglected primarily because of the lack of relevant, accurate laboratory methods for functional analysis, but in the last decade substantial progress has been made in the understanding of male reproductive biology. This progress has resulted from modern tech niques and instrumentation in microanatomy, immunology, neurophysiology, pathology, genetics, endocrinology, biochemistry, biophysics, urology and surgery. These studies are scattered in such a wide spectrum of journals that andrologists can hardly keep abreast of the advances. There have been numerous textbooks on the testes, male accessory organs and semen but the clinical aspects of andrology have not received similar emphasis. Since literature concerning clinical andrology is extensive and widely scattered in many different publica tions, we hope that a useful purpose will be served by summarizing the more pertinent material in a series of volumes which can be made readily available to students of andrology. It was decided that a series of specialized monographs should be devoted to clinics in andrology. These ten volumes of the series are an attempt to coordinate anatomical, physiological, biochemical, endocrinological, pharmacological and immunological aspects of the spermatozoa, testes, epi didymis and other accessory genital organs. Little is known about the effect of diet, diseases, environmental factors and drugs on male reproduction. The interest in developing new male contraceptive methods will stimulate research in andrology.

Contents:

I. The Female Partner.- 1. Evaluation of the female fertility.- 2. Physiology of spermatozoa inseminated in the female reproductive tract.- 3. In vitro sperm penetration in cervical mucus and AIH.- 4. Prediction and detection of ovulation: physiological and clinical parameters.- 5. Ovulation regulation for artificial insemination.- II. In Vitro Treatment of Semen.- 6. Glass wool filtration of human semen.- 7. Addition of pharmacological agents to the ejaculate.- 8. Use of albumin columns for semen filtration in male infertility.- 9. Separation of X and Y spermatozoa for sex preselection.- 10. The split ejaculate.- 11. Isolation of motile spermatozoa in oligospermic males prior to AIH.- 12. Retrograde ejaculation.- 13. AIH with freeze-preserved retrograde ejaculate.- 14. Cryobanking of semen in AIH.- 15. Repeated freeze-thawing for assessment of semen freezability.- III. Clinical Parameters of Insemination.- 16. Insemination techniques.- 17. Donor insemination versus AIH.- 18. Artificial insemination with fresh donor semen.- 19. Psychological and sexual problems of AIH.- 20. AIH for sexual inadequacy.- 21. Legal and ethical aspects of artificial insemination.