In plain words
Intrauterine insemination, or IUI, is a fertility treatment in which sperm are washed, concentrated, and placed into the uterus with a thin catheter. It is timed around ovulation, often with medicine that helps the ovaries release an egg. IUI is less complex and less costly than , so it is often tried first, for example for or mild male factor. It does not bypass blocked fallopian tubes, so it is not an option when the tubes are blocked. Success rates per cycle are modest, and multiple pregnancy is a risk when medicine is used. Many people try a few cycles before deciding on the next step. Clinics report their own results, which depend on age and diagnosis.
The deeper version
IUI places prepared motile sperm into the uterine cavity around ovulation, with or without controlled ovarian stimulation. Pregnancy rates per cycle are modest, and stimulation increases the risk of multiple gestation. A 2010 randomized trial of couples with unexplained infertility found that an accelerated path, which skipped gonadotropin-IUI, reached pregnancy faster and at lower cost than a conventional stepwise approach (Fertility and Sterility, 2010). The ASRM Practice Committee reviews IUI indications and outcomes. Controversy persists over the value of IUI relative to IVF in unexplained infertility and in mild male factor.
Where it comes up
- Trying to conceive: how long is normal, when to ask for helpBefore Pregnancy
- Infertility and the long roadLoss and Complications
What mothers here say about intrauterine insemination
No one has posted under this term yet.
Sources
- Practice Committee of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine — Intrauterine insemination practice documents. Fertility and Sterility
- Fertility and Sterility — Randomized trial of accelerated versus conventional stepwise treatment in couples with unexplained infertility, 2010