Intrauterine Insemination or IUI is an infertility treatment that involves placing sperm inside a female’s uterus to facilitate fertilization. The primary purpose of this treatment is to have a pregnancy by using skill other than sexual intercourse. The purpose of IUI is to increase the quantity of sperm that reaches the Fallopian tubes and increase the chance of fertilization. For It to work, your Fallopian tubes must be open and healthy.
Procedure Of Intrauterine Insemination Treatment
Before IUI, the doctor usually gives female ovulation-stimulating medicines. In which case, careful monitoring is crucial, and insemination is to coincide with ovulation – release of the eggs. Generally about 24-36 hours after the surge in LH hormone that suggests ovulation will happen soon.
A semen specimen taken after 2-5 days of abstinence from ejaculation is washed at the lab to separate the sperm from the seminal fluid. The doctor injects washed specimen of highly motile sperm either in the cervix or higher in the uterine cavity using a sterile, flexible catheter. This technique maximizes the number of sperm cells in the uterus, thus increasing the possibility of conception.
The IUI process takes solely a few minutes and entails minimal discomfort.
Suitable Candidates For IUI Procedure
Female Infertility: The woman who can’t release an egg regularly (ovulate) take medications to ovulate regularly. IUI can be the best option for these women to time insemination at the same time when they ovulate. Women taking infertility medicines produce several eggs at once. By doing IUI the chances of pregnancy become better.- Male Infertility: If the male partner has issues with the movement of sperm (motility) or experience low sperm count. IUI proves to be beneficial for couples with fertility issues as the male has problems on being able to ejaculate or develop erection.
- Unexplained Infertility: IUI is useful in the case where the testing failed to explain the cause of infertility.
- Single Mother: For single women who want to be a mother, IUI may be helpful. Same-sex couples also get benefit from IUI.
- HIV: HIV positive man or women.
Cost
The cost of IUI Treatment for one cycle varies from $800 to $2000 depending on other factors and one geographic area to another.
Success Rates of Intrauterine Insemination
Depends on types of partner’s fertility problems & age. If infertility is related to ovulation problems, endometriosis or unexplained infertility, then IUI may be very helpful with high success. If women are under age of 30 to 35, then chances for IUI Success are higher. It has a low success rate if women are under age of 40 to 45 or 50. IUI is also not useful for very low sperm count (low sperm counts – less than 5 million total motile sperm). In the case of frozen donor sperm, IUI may help to increase pregnancy chances.
Intrauterine Insemination is not suitable for the following patients:
- Moderate to severe endometriosis
- Women with a record of pelvic infections
- Women who have severe disease of the Fallopian tubes