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Intrauterine Insemination (IUI)

Intrauterine insemination is also known as IUI. This is a procedure that involves concentrating the semen sample into a small volume and then placing it into the uterine cavity. Sometimes you may hear this referred to as artificial insemination. The correct terminology is intrauterine insemination (IUI) 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.

Intrauterine inseminations with ovulation induction/superovulation can treat many causes of infertility including:

  • Ovarian dysfunction (inability to ovulate normally on your own)
  • Infertility associated with endometriosis (a painful inflammatory condition of the female pelvis)
  • 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)

What is Intrauterine Insemination?

Intrauterine insemination serves several purposes in order to augment a couple's fertility. 30% of all infertile couples have a degree of male factor infertility. The sperm count may be low or may have low 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.

Intrauterine 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.

Intrauterine 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

Therefore 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, intrauterine insemination (IUI) combined with ovulation induction/superovulation can double a couple's chance for pregnancy.

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

Contact us for more information about Intrauterine Insemination (IUI).
Fertility Specialists offer Female Infertility and Male Infertility Treatments including IVF & IUI