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Intrauterine Insemination (IUI)

Intrauterine insemination (IUI), which is a kind of artificial insemination, is a method used to treat infertility in women. As soon as your ovary begins to release one or more eggs for fertilization, sperm is cleaned and purified before being injected directly into your uterus to begin the process of conception and pregnancy. During intrauterine insemination, the goal is for the sperm to enter into the fallopian tube and fertilize an egg that has been waiting for fertilization, resulting in a pregnancy. IUI may be performed in conjunction with your natural cycle or conjunction with fertility medicines, depending on the cause of infertility.
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Everything You Need To Know About Intrauterine Insemination (IUI)

What is IUI?

A simple treatment, known as intrauterine insemination (IUI) places healthy sperm straight into your uterus, allowing them to move closer to your egg. The success of IUI is dependent on several variables. Overall success rate is 10% per cycle. These percentages vary based on factors like a woman’s age, the cause of her infertility, and whether or not fertility medicines were utilized, among other things.

Procedure

Donor insemination, alternative insemination, and artificial insemination are other types of IUI. As you’re ovulating, sperm cells are immediately injected into your uterus. This helps the sperm reach your egg more quickly. This reduces the amount of time and distance sperm must travel to fertilize your egg, making the process faster and simpler.

You may take ovulation-stimulating fertility medications before the insemination process. A donor or your partner’s sperm is used. It undergoes a procedure known as “sperm washing” to extract the most healthy sperm possible from the semen.

Afterward, your doctor will implant the sperm directly into your uterus with or without ultrasound guidance. This occurs when sperm fertilizes an egg, and the resulting fetus grows in your uterus after the fertilized egg has been implanted.

Simple and low-tech, IUI is also less costly than other kinds of reproductive treatments. IUIs may be. It improves your chances of becoming pregnant, but since every woman’s biology is different, there is no way to know whether IUI will be successful in your particular cycle.

Who Needs It?

The likelihood of a couple becoming pregnant is very variable. It is more common to utilize intrauterine insemination when a couple has:

  • Donor sperm: IUI is the most popular method of becoming pregnant for women who require donor sperm. Specimens of donor sperm(not husband’s) are collected from accredited laboratories and thawed before IUI using frozen sperm received from donors.
  • Unexplained infertility: In combination with ovulation-inducing drugs, IUI is often used as a first therapy for infertility for no apparent reason.
  • Endometriosis-related infertility: Endometriosis-related infertility is often treated with fertility drugs and IUI to get a healthy egg.
  • Mild male factor infertility (subfertility): If your partner’s sperm analysis, which is the first stage in diagnosing infertility, reveals low sperm concentration, sluggish sperm movement (motility), or aberrant sperm size and shape (morphology), you should see your partner’s doctor immediately. The preparation of sperm for the treatment helps distinguish highly motile, normal and high-quality sperm from those of poorer quality, therefore IUI may address some of these issues.

Who needs It

  • Cervical factor infertility: The entrance between your vagina and uterus is provided by your cervix, which is located at the uterus’ lower end. Ovulation-related mucus secreted by the cervix provides sperm with a perfect environment for their journey from the vagina to the fallopian tubes. However, excessive cervical mucus might obstruct sperm movement. Another factor that might hinder the sperm from accessing the egg is an abnormally narrow cervix. The cervix might thicken as a result of scarring from operations such as biopsies or other diagnostic tests. Because IUI skips the cervix entirely, it puts more sperm in your uterus, improving the odds of having enough sperm to meet your egg.
  • Ovulatory factor infertility: Women experiencing infertility due to ovulation issues, such as a lack of ovulation or a decreased quantity of eggs, may also benefit from IUI.
  • Semen allergy: Allergies to antigens in sperm may induce infertility in certain women, however, this happens quite rarely. When sperm is ejected into the vagina, it produces irritation, redness, burning, and edoema. A condom not only protects you from the symptoms but also helps prevent conception in the first place. Because many of the proteins in semen are eliminated before the sperm is injected, IUI may be an option if your sensitivity is extreme.

Conclusion

For many women and couples who are attempting to become pregnant, intrauterine insemination is a great alternative because of its minimal risk. Consult your OB-GYN and fertility expert if you’ve had trouble conceiving or have concerns about your conception alternatives. Depending on your medical history, your doctor may recommend IUI as a viable option to help you get pregnant.