IUI – Intrauterine Insemination Treatment
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IUI – Intrauterine Insemination Treatment
A quick treatment called intrauterine insemination (IUI) places healthy sperm within your uterus, bringing them closer to your egg. By raising the quantity of healthy sperm that enter the fallopian tubes when the woman is most fertile, this treatment seeks to increase the likelihood of conception.
IUI can be helpful for:
- Couples that are unable to conceive because of illnesses (e.g., endometriosis or low sperm count or quality).
- Unexplained infertility among couples.
- Female couples of the same sex who use donor sperm.
- Single ladies who want to conceive using donor sperm.
Because it is a less intrusive, more affordable treatment option than in vitro fertilisation (IVF), and because it can be easily completed at our clinic, IUI is a popular choice.
How does IUI work?
IUI, or intrauterine insemination, is a medical term. Donor insemination, alternative insemination, and artificial insemination are other names for it. When you’re ovulating, IUI works by injecting sperm cells straight into your uterus, which brings the sperm and egg closer together. By reducing the time and distance sperm must travel, you can facilitate fertilisation of your egg.
You may take ovulation-stimulating fertility medications prior to the insemination operation. Semen is taken from a donor or your spouse. “Sperm washing” is the procedure used to extract concentrated amounts of healthy sperm from the semen.
Your doctor will then immediately insert the sperm into your uterus. If your egg is fertilised by sperm and then implants in the lining of your uterus, pregnancy results.
IUI is a straightforward, low-tech process that has the potential to be less expensive than other forms of fertility therapy. It boosts your chances of getting pregnant, but since every person’s body is unique, there is no assurance that IUI will be successful.
What can I expect during IUI?
You could use fertility medications prior to IUI to aid in maturing and preparing your eggs for fertilisation. The insemination process will be performed by your doctor during ovulation. On occasion, ovulation-inducing hormones will be administered to you. To increase your chances of becoming pregnant, they will determine precisely when you are ovulating and prepared for the surgery.
Your partner or donor collects a semen sample at home or in the doctor’s office. The sperm are prepared for insemination through a process called “sperm washing” that pulls out a concentrated amount of healthy sperm. Sperm washing also helps get rid of chemicals in the semen that can cause reactions in your uterus and make it harder to get pregnant. If you’re using donor sperm from a sperm bank, the sperm bank generally sends the doctor’s office sperm that’s already “washed” and ready for IUI.
The doctor will insert an extremely thin, flexible tube into your uterus during the IUI process. The sperm is directly injected through the tube into your uterus using a tiny syringe. If an egg is fertilised by sperm and then implants in the lining of your uterus, pregnancy results.
Only five to ten minutes are required for the insemination process. You don’t need anaesthetic, and it takes only a short while. Even though IUI is mostly painless, some patients experience moderate cramps.
