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Insemination: Intrauterine insemination (IUI)
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What is Intrauterine Insemination (IUI)?
If it is proving impossible to get pregnant in the conventional way, the doctor can perform so-called insemination (semen transfer). Sperm is introduced into the uterus of the woman with the help of a simple medical procedure. These may be the sperm of one's partner (homologous) or of a sperm donor (heterologous/donor). To do this, the processed sperm are transferred directly into the woman's uterus using a catheter following ovulation, which is triggered by hormonal stimulation. Insemination is often used in the case of mild fertility disorders in the man, for example.
When is an Insemination used?
At the moment of natural ovulation, specially prepared sperm from the male partner are transferred directly into the uterus cavity with the help of a thin catheter for insemination (also known as an IUI).
Insemination is recommended:
When the man shows a degree of infertility
When the couple cannot have sexual intercourse
For same-sex couples, e.g. lesbian couples
The woman has organic causes, such as a narrowed cervix or anomalies in the area of the uterine neck that prevent the sperm from traveling to the uterine cavity
IUI using donor sperm
Donor sperm can be used for intrauterine insemination. Couples may choose to use donor sperm in certain situations:
Men who have no sperm in the ejaculate.
Single women.
Same-sex couples.
Couples for whom there is a severe problem with the sperm, and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) has been recommended, but the couple do not wish to undergo IVF and ICSI.
Who is IUI not recommended for?
IUI is not recommended for the following patients:
Women who have severe disease of the fallopian tubes.
Women with moderate to severe endometriosis.
Women with a history of pelvic infections.
Males with a very low sperm count or poor quality sperm.
If you are unsure whether the above apply to you or not, speak to one of our specialists today. We can advise whether or not IUI would be the best fertility treatment for your requirements.
What’s the difference between IUI and IVF?
Many people assume that IUI is the same as IVF. However, this is not the case. IUI is known to be less invasive than an IVF cycle and, for some people, can often be the more popular of the two treatments. During the IUI process, the highest quality sperm are selected and injected directly into the uterus.
In comparison, IVF involves collecting the eggs and sperm, fertilising them in a laboratory and then transferring the resulting embryos into the uterus. IUI, in comparison, allows the body to do more on its own. Therefore, many people consider it to be a more natural form of fertility treatment.
IUI success rates
As with any fertility treatment, the success rate of IUI depends on many factors. Even so, IUI success rates tend to be around one-third of those for IVF. As with any fertility treatment, a woman’s age plays a big part in conception success. The younger a woman is, the higher her chances of getting pregnant. However, IUI success rates will differ from person to person. We can discuss the likelihood of pregnancy success for you based on your individualised treatment plan when you book a consultation with us today.
What is the Insemination process?
1. Determine the right moment
It is important that the injection of the sperm into the uterus takes place shortly before ovulation or immediately on the day of ovulation. Your doctor at the fertility clinic will determine when you ovulate by means of ultrasound examinations and hormone monitoring. Since the egg can only be fertilised for 12-24 hours after ovulation, optimal timing plays an important role.
2. Semen delivery & preparation in the lab
On the day of insemination, the partner's sperm is delivered to our institute. In special cases, it is possible to take sperm with you or to cryopreserve sperm at our clinic beforehand. The sperm is then specially processed in the IVF laboratory.
3. Insemination
The prepared semen is flushed into the uterine cavity by our IVF specialists using a thin catheter. The IUI treatment takes only a few minutes and is pain-free.
What is the success rate of insemination?
The advantage of insemination is that a very large number of sperm cells can be brought close to the egg. Whether a pregnancy will occur after insemination depends on several factors - such as the age of the woman, the quality of the egg, the sperm quality of the partner and any accompanying hormone treatment.
Women under 35 have a probability of becoming pregnant of about 12-18% per insemination; women between 35 and 40 have about a 10% chance of pregnancy due to already reduced fertility.
Are there any risks or side effects with insemination (IUI)?
The risks of insemination without hormonal stimulation are very low. Due to the use of ultra-soft and very flexible catheters, injury to the uterus through insemination can practically always be ruled out.
What are the costs of insemination?
The costs of insemination depend on whether hormonal stimulation is carried out beforehand or not. Please refer to the TFP prices page for an idea of the current costs.
Your first consultation with TFP Fertility
If you still have some questions about the procedure of intrauterine insemination (IUI) or your individual chances of pregnancy. Just give us a call and arrange an initial consultation with one of our fertility experts in your local TFP fertility clinic in Vienna, Wels or Klagenfurt.
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