Intrauterine insemination or IUI is a fertility treatment option where the sperm is placed inside a woman’s uterus in order to enhance and facilitate fertilisation. The goal of an intrauterine insemination is to increase the chances of fertilisation by manually improving the number of sperms that can reach the fallopian tube for fertilisation. Intrauterine insemination provides the sperm an advantage in its momentum by giving a boost to its whole process of fertilisation, however, the sperm has to reach the tube and fertilise the egg in its own. This is preferred by many infertile couple as it is less invasive as well as less expensive, when compared to the in-vitro fertilization.
When is intrauterine insemination a treatment option?
Intrauterine insemination is a procedure mainly followed by couples who have failed to get pregnant naturally. A low sperm count and/or decreased sperm motility is the main reason to go for an intrauterine insemination. However, intrauterine insemination is generally selected for any of the following reasons:
Having stated these, there are reasons when an intrauterine insemination is not recommended as a mode of fertilising the egg or a treatment for infertility. They are:
The procedure of intrauterine insemination
Ovulation stimulation medications are used before the intrauterine insemination, in order to make sure that the eggs have developed and matured before the insemination procedure is adopted. After it is monitored, intrauterine insemination is performed around the time of ovulation. Using a catheter the semen sample is inserted directly into the uterus. This process is selected as it maximizes the number of sperm cells entering the uterus and the fallopian tube, thus increasing the patient’s chance of becoming pregnant. The whole process of intrauterine insemination takes a few minutes and causes very little discomfort to the patient.
Success rate of intrauterine insemination
The success of intrauterine insemination is completely dependent on a number of factors. Say, a couple opts for an intrauterine insemination procedure , each months they may be able to reach a success rate of as high as 20% per cycle. This however, also depends on the age of the female, the reasons for infertility and a number of other variables.
An intrauterine insemination is naturally a less invasive and hence, a less expensive procedure when compared to IVF. And it also has a less success rate than IVF. So your doctor will be able to guide you better on what your fertility condition is and which procedure will bear better and effective results. So let your doctor conduct some tests and evaluate them to conclude a treatment procedure.
