Intrauterine insemination (IUI) is a fertility treatment that involves injecting sperm inside the woman’s uterus to facilitate fertilization. The goal of IUI is to increase the number of sperm that reach the fallopian tubes and subsequently increase the chances of pregnancy.
Do I need IUI?
Suitable candidates for IUI treatment are:
- Women with ovulatory disorders
- Women with mild endometriosis
- Women with unexplained infertility
It is important to remember that IUI success rates also depend on the sperm count. Sperm counts between 20 and 30 million/ml of semen are ideal for sperm washing and subsequent IUI treatment.
Is IUI painful?
The IUI procedure should only take a few minutes and it shouldn’t hurt. Some mild discomfort may occur when the speculum is inserted, or you may experience cramping when the catheter passes through the cervix. You’ll be sedated and under pain medication during the procedure.
Is IUI safe?
Most side effects are caused by the fertility drugs taken during the IUI cycle, but not the IUI procedure itself. The side effects are mild in intensity and disappear once you stop taking fertility drugs.
Which is better, IUI or IVF?
IUI with fertility medication: average success rates range from 8% to 15% per cycle for patients under 35 and 2% to 5% for patients over 40. The success rate of IVF using a woman’s own eggs is around 78% for patients under 35 to 15% while for women over 35, rates range from 35% to 55%. For women of advanced age, we usually offer IVF with donor eggs. Whether IUI or IVF is better for you, depends on your medical condition and chances for success with each treatment.
Why did IUI fail?
Women often have a 10 to 20% chance of getting pregnant with just one IUI cycle. The more IUI cycles you undergo, the higher the chance is for pregnancy. With 3 to 6 cycles of IUI, pregnancy rates can be as high as 80 %. However, our fertility doctor may recommend you IVF if your chances for success with IUI are too low.