Intrauterine insemination (IUI) is a commonly used fertility treatment.
In an IUI procedure a doctor will take a processed semen sample containing washed, prepared sperm and place it in a woman’s cervix into the uterine cavity at the time of her ovulation. After they are in the right place at the optimal time, the egg will travel down the fallopian tube.
Who does an IUI procedure help?
If a couple struggles to conceive because of the following:
• When the couple does not conceive after medication and timed intercourse
• They can’t conceive because of a physical problem such as retrograde or premature ejaculation.
• If the male husband has HIV, then the processing of his semen sample before insemination lowers the risk of passing the disease.
• Also helps couples who have fertility struggles, such as mild endometriosis, mild male-factor infertility such as low-sperm count or motility.
For an IUI procedure to have optimum impact, the woman’s fallopian tubes must be open and healthy. This can be determined by undergoing a tubal patency test. With the help of a laparoscopy, problems or blockages in the uterus or fallopian tubes can be located.
In the case of tubal blocks or the presence of adhesions, an IUI procedure is not recommended. This is because the egg might not be able to travel from the ovary to the uterus. If there’s one working tube and ovary, an IUI procedure is still possible.
How is an IUI procedure done?
At the beginning of the procedure, the use of fertility medicines is determined, depending on the patient’s infertility diagnosis. Some patients may need to use fertility medicines alongside their IUI procedure. These medicines are essentially to stimulate and increase the ovulation cycle in the woman. Some instances don’t require drugs for stimulation and a natural cycle is sufficient.
However, in some instances the risk of multiple pregnancies increases when taking fertility drugs. Sometimes if the requirement for fertility drugs is great then an IVF treatment is recommended as it allows for more control through the procedure and multiple pregnancy rates can be lower. Multiple pregnancies have also been connected to an increase in the risk of miscarriage or other complications.
During those cycles with no stimulation, the IUI procedure is timed to take place during the time of natural ovulation. The doctor will continuously monitor and track the cycle using blood tests and scans. The ideal window of an IUI procedure to take place is between the 12th and 16th day of the menstrual cycle. The exact time period can defer, depending on the individual cycle. An IUI procedure is also recommended during stimulated ovulation by the fertility expert. During which the patient is given fertility drugs just before the beginning of the menstrual cycle. This helps stimulate the ovaries to develop several mature eggs for fertilisation.
Experts then conduct an ultrasound scan to locate the egg and check its maturity levels. A person can ovulate naturally, or be given a hormonal injection to cause the occurrence. A healthy sperm with good motility is extracted then inserted into the uterus between 24 hours and 40 hours of the hormonal injection.
This is carried out using a catheter through the cervix, after which the doctor will then place the sperm directly into the uterus near a fallopian tube. This is the optimal placement for an egg to travel from an ovary to the uterus.
The success rate of an IUI procedure is dependent on the cause, severity of the diagnosis and the patient’s age.
IUI success rate in india 