Semen Culture: A Comparative Analysis between Solid Media and Liquid Media Supplementation

Abstract

Introduction: Semen culture is a salient diagnostic tool employed in the diagnosis of infection as a tentative cause of infertility. It is also used in the diagnosis of bacterial prostatitis or infection of any of the accessory glands. Semen culture is especially useful when semen is being assayed for use in in vitro fertilization or intrauterine insemination. Studies have shown that male genitourinary tract infections account for up to 15% of cases of male infertility. Materials and methods: one hundred and twenty three (123) semen samples were collected from patients attending the fertility and urology clinics of Eku Baptist Hospital. Samples were produced by masturbation in the laboratory after 3 days abstinence period. 0.1ml of the sample was inoculated onto broth media while 0.1ml was also inoculated on solid media plates. After 24 hours incubation at 37 0 C, 0.1ml of the sample from the broth media was subcultured onto solid media plates. The media plates were read and the bacteria isolates characterized using standard methods. The isolates obtained when only solid media was used were compared with the isolates obtained when broth media was used to supplement solid media. Result: When liquid media was used to supplement solid media in the microbiological culture of the semen sample, a total of 67 bacterial isolates were recovered whereas when only solid media was used, only 16 bacteria isolates were recovered from culture. Conclusion: the use of broth media to supplement solid media is advocated to increase the sensitivity of semen culture.