Abstract:
Purpose: To assess the effect of wearing powdered gloves during embryo transfer as compared to un-powdered gloves on the pregnancy outcome of IVF cycles. Methods: Patients, undergoing embryo transfer procedures, were prospectively randomized into two groups: In the first (group A, n=356) group embryo transfer was performed while wearing powdered gloves; in the second (group B, n=356) group embryo transfer was performed while wearing un-powdered gloves. The primary end point of the study was the clinical pregnancy rate. Results: The two groups were comparable with respect to the mean age, mean number of grade one embryos obtained, and the mean number of embryos transferred. The clinical pregnancy rates of the two groups were not different. Conclusions: Powdered gloves, worn during embryo transfer, have no adverse effect on the pregnancy outcome of IVF cycles. © 2008 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.