What is IUI?
Intrauterine insemination or IUI treatment is the placing of sperm into a woman’s uterus during ovulation. This procedure is used for couples with unexplained infertility, a minimal factor of male infertility, and women with cervical mucus problems.
IUI treatment is often done along with ovulation-stimulating drugs. Intrauterine insemination can be performed by using the husband’s sperm or donor sperm. Before Intrauterine insemination, women should be evaluated for any hormonal imbalance, infection, or structural problems.
IUI may be used in along with ovulatory medications, such as clomiphene citrate, gonadotropins, or urofollitropin. If injectable ovulation Stimulating drugs are used in an IUI cycle, careful monitoring is essential. Monitoring includes periodic blood tests and ultrasounds beginning around day 6 of the woman’s cycle. Results of these tests will indicate when eggs are mature, prompting the HCG shot.
Intrauterine insemination IUI treatment is also used with specially prepared donor sperm. The sperm bank sends the doctor’s office sperm that is already prepared. Intrauterine insemination is a relatively quick procedure and is performed in the doctor’s office without any anesthesia. It should not be painful, although some women report mild discomfort.
The IUI Treatment Procedure
- The procedure is rather simple, though it is quite normal to feel nervous about it. It will be done by Hormone IVF.
- If one is using a sperm donor, the donor sperm will indeed be thawed and prepared.
- If one’s partner will be out of town, or one has difficulty providing a sample in the past, one’s partner may also provide the semen sample before IUI day. In this case, in the case the sample is frozen, it will be thawed and prepared.
- Semen does contain more than just sperm. One’s doctor will, in fact, put the semen through a special “washing” procedure. This does take out the required impurities and does leave only what is indeed required for conception.
- For the procedure itself, one will lie down on a gynecological table, quite similar to the ones used for one’s yearly exam.
- A catheter—a small, thin tube—will be placed in one’s cervix. One may have some mild cramping, similar to what one might feel during a pap smear.
- The specially washed semen will then be transferred into one’s uterus via the catheter.
- The catheter is removed, is done.
- One’s doctor may suggest one can remain to lie horizontally for a short while after the procedure, or one may be able to get up right away.
- In either of the cases, one need not need to worry about the sperm falling out when one’s stand up. The sperm gets transferred directly into one’s uterus.
- After the IUI procedure, you may be prescribed progesterone. This is usually taken via a vaginal suppository.
- About a week after the IUI, one’s doctor may order blood work. He will check one’s progesterone levels, estrogen, and (perhaps) hCG levels.
- Ten to 14 days post-IUI, one’s doctor may order a pregnancy blood test. Or, he may, in fact, suggest a home test.
As per international studies and research, during the fixed cycles wherever fertility drugs and IUI were combined, the pregnancy rate was between 8 percent to 17 percent. These are per cycle rates, meaning that the success odds are higher when looking at multiple cycles together.
Usually, the success rate in this regard will depend on the cause of one’s infertility and one’s age.
Though IUI success rates are calculated as per cycle, which is in fact much higher, IUI is significantly rather less expensive. The procedure is also much easier and less invasive.