Intrauterine insemination (IUI) is a fertility treatment that involves placing sperm inside a woman’s uterus to facilitate fertilization. The goal of IUI is to increase the number of sperm that reach the fallopian tubes and subsequently increase the chance of fertilization.
Is IUI for me?
IUI can help you conceive if your partner has a low sperm count or poor sperm motility. (Poor motility simply means that sperm has a hard time reaching an egg.)
IUI also helps if you're taking medication to ovulate or produce extra eggs and insemination is timed to boost your chance of pregnancy.
Other fertility problems treatable with IUI include:
Unexplained infertility
Cervical scarring or cervical mucus abnormalities
Severe pain during sex
Problems with ejaculation or developing an erection
Sexually transmitted disease, such as HIV or hepatitis (in either partner
How does IUI work?
If you are having IUI treatment without using fertility drugs, then the treatment will occur around the same time you ovulate naturally in your cycle. If you are using fertility drugs, regular scans are used to monitor the development of your eggs and IUI is timed for when the egg is released.
The best-quality sperm are then inserted into the uterusvia a catheter. This is a simple and quick procedure, which is usually painless. After the treatment you won’t need to stay in the clinic, although you may wish to rest for a short while.
How successful is IUI?
The success of IUI depends on several factors. If a couple has the IUI procedure performed each month, success rates may reach as high as 20% per cycle depending on variables such as female age, the reason for infertility, and whether fertility drugs were used, among other variables.
While IUI is a less invasive and less expensive option, pregnancy rates from IUI are lower than those from IVF. If you think you may be interested in IUI, talk with your doctor to discuss your options.
Intrauterine insemination (IUI) is a fertility treatment that involves placing sperm inside a woman’s uterus to facilitate fertilization. The goal of IUI is to increase the number of sperm that reach the fallopian tubes and subsequently increase the chance of fertilization.
Is IUI for me?
IUI can help you conceive if your partner has a low sperm count or poor sperm motility. (Poor motility simply means that sperm has a hard time reaching an egg.)
IUI also helps if you're taking medication to ovulate or produce extra eggs and insemination is timed to boost your chance of pregnancy.
Other fertility problems treatable with IUI include:
How does IUI work?
If you are having IUI treatment without using fertility drugs, then the treatment will occur around the same time you ovulate naturally in your cycle. If you are using fertility drugs, regular scans are used to monitor the development of your eggs and IUI is timed for when the egg is released.
The best-quality sperm are then inserted into the uterusvia a catheter. This is a simple and quick procedure, which is usually painless. After the treatment you won’t need to stay in the clinic, although you may wish to rest for a short while.
How successful is IUI?
The success of IUI depends on several factors. If a couple has the IUI procedure performed each month, success rates may reach as high as 20% per cycle depending on variables such as female age, the reason for infertility, and whether fertility drugs were used, among other variables.
While IUI is a less invasive and less expensive option, pregnancy rates from IUI are lower than those from IVF. If you think you may be interested in IUI, talk with your doctor to discuss your options.