ABSTRACT
Objective: The covid-19 pandemic has accelerated the use of direct-to-consumer offerings of at-home, mail-in kits for sperm DNA fragmentation. However, mail-in semen collection kits involve incubation in transport media and overnight shipping. DNA fragmentation can be confounded by multiple extrinsic factors such as storage temperatures, transportation media, handling conditions, time after ejaculation, and oxidative stress. The objective of this study was to validate the sperm chromatin dispersion test using at-home, mail-in sperm collection kits. To do so, we evaluated and assessed the effect of transportation media and shipping on sperm DNA integrity using a Halosperm G2 kit in normozoospermic human sperm samples. Material(s) and Method(s): We included a control group of ten healthy normozoospermic humans whose semen samples were analyzed for sperm DNA fragmentation using a Halosperm G2 kit. Fifty healthy normozoospermic human semen samples were included in the study group.The mean age of men in the entire cohort was 34.9 +/- 8 years. These samples were divided into two equal groups. The first group was directly analyzed for sperm DNA fragmentation using a Halosperm G2 kit in the lab. The second group samples were incubated for 24 hours in transportation media (TM), then these incubated semen samples were packaged. Shipping simulation was achieved by putting the semen samples in a cargo van for 5 hours, where temperatures, pressure, and handling fluctuated. The samples were then returned to the lab, where they were subsequently analyzed for sperm DNA fragmentation using a Halosperm G2 kit. To estimate the inter-observer variability in the scoring of sperm cells with fragmented DNA, 20 aliquots from 10 different frozen semen specimens of the control group were processed at our internal lab. The other 10 aliquots were shipped to an independent, third-party CLIA-certified laboratory and processed using the same Halosperm G2 kit technique. Result(s): The Sperm DNA fragmentation index was not statistically significantly different between the non-incubated freshly analyzed sperm samples (20 %, SD +/-9%) and the 24-hour incubated samples with shipping conditions (24% SD +/- 13) (p-value: 0.0549). During the external validation study, when the internal and external lab technicians scored the same samples, the sperm DNA fragmentation percentage (SDFs) were not statistically significantly different (p-value: 0.1213) correlated (r = 0.85, p = 0.0016). Conclusion(s): This study revealed that the sperm DNA fragmentation index of normozoospermic human sperm sample is not statically significant impacted by a 24-hour transport media incubation and subsequent exposure to shipments conditions. Impact Statement: Our study showed that the accuracy and validity of DNA fragmentation detection using the Halosperm G2 kit of TM-incubated and shipped human sperm samples was comparable to those of fresh samples analyzed at the lab in normozoospermic human sperm samples. Therefore, at-home mail-in kits may provide a viable testing option for DNA fragmentation index, helping to mitigate the barriers to access of affordable fertility care. Support: None. Copyright © 2022
ABSTRACT
The introduction of "social distancing" and quarantine orders in response to the COVID-19 pandemic have temporarily limited the ability for queer communities to engage in physical forms of social leisure. This pandemic also serves as a reminder of the importance of leisure spaces for queer communities and their unique leisure experiences. Given this opportunity to (re)examine the importance of queer leisure spaces, this paper will take a critical look at the impact this pandemic has had on queer leisure provision and the ramifications for queer leisure and queering leisure in a post-pandemic world. This paper will examine the current absence of queer leisure outlets, portrayal of public queer spaces, how the response to the sudden elimination of queer leisure spaces can inform our current understanding of leisure, and potential lessons about the connection between physical social engagement and queer leisure spaces.