IUI – Intrauterine Insemination : Intrauterine Insemination is one of the most effective fertility treatments available everywhere. The collected sperm will be planted in the woman’s uterus when the ovary is about to discharge one or more eggs. The fertilized egg with sperm results in normal pregnancy. This IUI treatment is carried out without using any drugs at all.
Table of Contents
What Is IUI ? How does IUI work? Who will choose IUI treatment?
There are several factors that determine one’s fertility. However, intrauterine insemination is employed quite often in couples who are having:
- Pain due to Sexual intercourse: when couples experience pain during sexual intercourse, then IUI treatment is helpful.
- Donated Sperm is being used: Intrauterine Insemination is one of the most preferred options by women who are willing to use donor sperm to attain pregnancy. The sperm used to fertilize with egg is obtained from labs before the IUI procedure commences.
- Endometriosis-related issues: Gaining High-quality eggs using medicines is the first to approach fertility treatment.
- Male infertility: One of the first steps in assessing infertility is to analyze your partners’ sperm, healthy sperm, movement and size of sperm, and more. These issues can be resolved by IUI treatment.
- Cervical Mucus: Cervix, located at the lower end of the uterus, opens between vagina and uterus. Mucus produced by Cervix plays a key role in sperm’s travel from the vagina to the fallopian tubes.The thickness of mucus decides the journey of sperms’ traveling to fallopian tubes. The thickness of mucus stops sperm from entering the vagina and reaches the egg. IUI treatment helps in depositing sperm into your uterus directly and ensures that sperm reaches the egg.
- Ovulatory factor infertility: IUI treatment is helpful for women who have infertility issues due to the absence of ovulation or the less number of eggs.
IUI treatment is not suggested for those with
- Fallopian tubes blocking
- Any pelvic infection
- Endometriosis severity
Side effects or risk of IUI
Intrauterine insemination is comparatively safe and secure, complications relatively are low. Below is the list of risks.
- Disease: there is a chance of infection on account of the procedure.
- Vaginal bleeding: Placing a catheter (a soft hollow tube) in the uterus results in vaginal bleeding.
- Multiple pregnancies: IUI per se doesn’t cause the risk of multiple pregnancies. However, there are chances of increasing multiple pregnancies due to ovulation-inducing medications. There are certain risks associated with multiple pregnancies like premature birth, low weight, and any birth defects.
How one must be geared up before the IUI procedure takes place
Intrauterine insemination demands couples to have a careful organization before the actual procedure takes place:
- Keep the semen sample ready
A semen sample can be disposed of at the medical office or frozen donor sperm can be arranged. The presence of certain elements in semen apart from sperm may cause adverse reactions in fertilization. Highly concentrated sperm are taken out of semen and placed in the uterus. Thereby the chances of getting pregnant increase by using healthy sperm. - Observing Ovulation
You may be given a medical prescription to ovulate one or more eggs at the right time. - Deciding the best timing for IUI treatment
After identifying the ovulation, IUIs are carried out mostly within one or two days. The physician will declare the detailed plan and procedure and timing of IUI treatment.
IUI (Intrauterine Insemination) Treatment
IUI treatment initially feels nervous though it’s simple and painless. The IUI procedure per se doesn’t take more than minutes at all. The ones who undergo IUI treatment will not be given any pain relievers, medications either. The specialized physicians or nurses will carry out the IUI procedure at a fertility clinic.
You lie down on a table. A small thin rubber tube known as a catheter is inserted into the cervix. You may feel mild cramping when it is placed in the cervix. A semen i.e specially washed one will be sent into your uterus through a catheter. Then the rubber tube will be removed.
You will be suggested to wait for a few minutes following treatment or stand up immediately. In both cases, you don’t need to be apprehensive about sperm falling as it would have reached into your uterus instantly.
Post IUI treatment
You will be given progesterone that should be taken through a vaginal suppository. After two weeks post-IUI treatment, your physician probably asks for your blood samples and checks your estrogen, progesterone levels. You can carry out your regular chore activities post-IUI treatment. It doesn’t cause any grave issues at all. However, you may notice some vaginal bleeding for one or two days post IUI procedure.
Also Check :- In Vitro Fertilization (IVF ) Complete Details
The outcome
Two weeks following IUI treatment, a result of the pregnancy test would be known. The outcome of the IUI test would either be negative or positive. Your physician may ask you to come back to the clinic after two weeks of IUI treatment for a blood test, which plays a pivotal role in identifying pregnancy hormones post-fertilization.
If you don’t get pregnant, you can try IUI treatment one more time before you move on to other fertility treatments. This same IUI treatment is employed for around six months to increase the chances of pregnancy.
IUI treatment Cost
IUI treatment is mostly preferred by many if any fertility issues occur. Most people choose this fertility treatment and go for other ART fertility treatments if IUI does not give optimal results. Moreover, IUI treatment is comparatively easier and less cost than ART treatments like IVF. A few health insurance companies would cover IUI treatments. It’s recommended to you to be notified about IUI treatment coverage before you get started.
As per the survey done by the nonprofit organizations, the average IUI treatment costs around $900. The cost of the treatment, however, varies relatively from territory to territory and considering more aspects. The IUI treatment may be as low as $400 to more than $1000.
You must take all aspects into account before you begin the treatment. Intrauterine insemination treatment is rather affordable and cheaper as compared to IVF, which costs about $8000 to $15000 for one cycle.
Major Challenges
IUI helps you conceive. However, it may not guarantee your pregnancy. Be certain about emotional trauma post-IUI treatment failures. One therefore must seek suggestions from people who have conceived babies through intrauterine insemination treatment and physicians who practice IUI treatment and assess the likelihood of getting pregnant. The success rates of pregnancy are higher when we consider multiple cycles together.
Also Read :-
- In Vivo vs In Vitro
- What Is Fertilization In Humans ?
- What Is Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI)?
- Difference between ICSI vs IVF ?
