Intra Uterine Insemination

Diva Women's Clinic
Feb 1, 2019
3 min read

Monica had gone crazy. She had been looking up on the internet about IUI after her last appointment with her gynaecologist. She was getting too paranoid about the entire process. And with all the rumours about how certain infertility centres sometimes don’t follow guidelines she was very confused and scared.

Her mother had been after her not to postpone her first pregnancy but Monica and her husband Jagat wanted to delay that . She and her partner Jagat had postponed the pregnancy in the first year of marriage as they wanted to know each other better and did not want to get tied down with a baby so early in their lives . Now they were seriously planning a baby but nothing was happening . Her husbands sperm count was a little lower than what is should be the doctor had said it is called oligospermia. They were told by their doctor to reduce use of electronic gadgets hot sauna baths and take nutritious diet. She had said that IUI is not test tube baby but it would improve chances of having a baby . But both Monica and Jagat were scared if it was a safe and recommended procedure .

Intra Uterine Insemination (IUI) ?

Intrauterine insemination (IUI) is a fertility treatment that involves placing sperm inside a woman's uterus to help in the process of fertilization. The goal of IUI is to increase the number of sperm that reach the fallopian tubes and subsequently increase the chance of fertilization.

How is it done?

During IUI, selected and washed sperm are placed into the womb (uterus) and near to the egg at the time of ovulation . This procedure is sometimes combined with fertility drugs to increase the chances of conceiving. This process maximizes the number of sperm cells that are placed in the uterus, thus increasing the possibility of conception. The IUI procedure takes only a few minutes and involves minimal discomfort. The next step is to watch for signs and symptoms of pregnancy.

How long does it take?

After the man provides a semen sample, it takes about one hour to process the sperm. On rare occasion, sperm processing takes longer, depending on the man's sperm. Processing frozen or donor sperm takes about 45 minutes. The IUI procedure takes only a few minutes.

What are the indicators for IUI?

The most common reasons for IUI are a low sperm count or decreased sperm mobility.

Unexplained infertility.
Ejaculation dysfunction.
Hostile cervical mucus.

What is Sperm Washing?

Sperm washing is the process in which individual sperms are separated from the semen. Washed sperm is used in artificial insemination using the intrauterine insemination (IUI) technique .

What are the success rates?

Women often have a 10 to 20 percent chance of getting pregnant with just one IUI cycle. The more cycles of IUI you undergo, the higher the chance is for a pregnancy. With 3 to 6 cycles of IUI, pregnancy rates can be as high as 60 percent.

What are the advantages?

It is less invasive and less expensive as compared to IVF

How long does the sperm live in the uterus after IUI?

A woman's cervical fluid provides the sperm with the nutrients they need to survive during their journey to the ovum. The typical lifespan of sperm in a woman's body is three days, but in the right conditions sperm can even live up to five days