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Artificial Insemination

Artificial insemination, also known as intrauterine insemination (IUI), is a procedure that involves concentrating the semen sample into a small volume and then placing it into the uterine cavity. The correct terminology is artificial insemination because in the vast majority of cases the semen is placed into the uterus. In rare instances the semen is placed in the cervix or vagina.

What is Artificial Insemination?

Artificial insemination serves several purposes in order to augment a couple's fertility. Thirty percent (30%) of all infertile couples have a degree of male factor infertility. The sperm count may be low or may have poor motility, or there may be many abnormal sperm. In these situations, by getting more sperm into the female reproductive tract, we can achieve better pregnancy rates.

Artificial insemination also serves to bypass the normal barriers of entry of the sperm into the female reproductive tract. The cervix secretes mucus and antibodies, which can serve to prevent sperm from entering the female reproductive tract. You may be aware of the thin cervical mucus that is secreted around the time of ovulation. This is what allows sperm to enter the uterine cavity. In some women this cervical mucus is inadequate or contains antibodies, which can damage sperm and thereby prevent sperm from reaching the egg.

Ovulation induction/superovulation can be used together with artificial insemination to treat many causes of infertility including:

  • Cervical factor infertility (related to prior surgery)
  • Unexplained infertility (infertility in which the exact cause cannot be identified).
  • Polycystic ovarian syndrome (a common female endocrine disorder)
  • Ovarian dysfunction (inability to ovulate normally on your own)
  • Infertility associated with endometriosis (a painful inflammatory condition of the female pelvis)

Artificial insemination therefore serves 3 purposes:

  • It gets a high concentration of sperm into the female reproductive tract into the uterus thereby increasing the chance of sperm reaching the egg to achieve fertilization.
  • It helps to get higher number of sperm high into the female reproductive tract thereby helping to overcome mild to moderate male fertility problems.
  • Additionally with the help of our office and the use of an ovulation predictor kit we are able to synchronize timing to optimize a woman's chance of becoming pregnant

Artificial insemination is an effective treatment for both male fertility problems and couples with unexplained infertility. In couples with unexplained infertility where all other testing is normal, artificial insemination combined with ovulation induction/superovulation can significantly increase their chances for pregnancy.

Most physicians recommend 3-6 attempts at artificial insemination prior to moving on to more aggressive treatment.

Contact us for more information about artificial insemination .
Fertility Specialists offer Female Infertility and Male Infertility Treatments including IVF & IUI