IUI Treatment July 25, 2024
Getting a diagnosis of infertility can be nerve-wracking and emotionally draining for multiple couples. If you have always dreamed of becoming parents, the looming possibility of not being able to have one naturally can leave a hole in your heart and life.
However, this is where the magic of modern medicine steps in. There are several assisted reproductive technologies (ART) available today to help you achieve your goal of becoming pregnant despite the shortcomings that you are potentially experiencing. Among them, IUI or intrauterine insemination is a leading choice among couples.
This comprehensive guide will explore everything that you need to know about IUI treatment: the procedure, ideal candidates, cost, and the benefits and risks associated with it.
Intrauterine insemination, or IUI, is a type of artificial insemination and fertility treatment that involves the introduction of sperm directly into a woman's uterus during her fertile window.
The primary goal of an IUI is to increase the chances of fertilization by bringing the sperm closer to the egg. Additionally, by doing so, factors like cervical mucus or motility issues, which could have been preventing the successful fertilization of the egg and the sperm, can be eliminated.
It is often recommended for couples with certain fertility challenges or seeking to conceive without a partner.
When discussing the IUI process, we must peek at the list of ideal candidates for the treatment. Who is considered ideal, and what factors contribute to it? Are you a suitable candidate for IUI? If not, why is that the case?
We will discuss that in detail here:
Unexplained infertility is when the factors preventing the couple from conceiving naturally are unknown. This means that despite the rounds of testing, no standout factors indicate why the couple is having difficulty getting pregnant.
If you are diagnosed with something similar and have been trying to get pregnant but to no avail, opting for IUI is an effective way to bypass the potential triggers and ensure successful fertilization and conception.
If your male partner struggles with mild sperm abnormalities like low sperm count, sperm motility issues, and morphology issues, it will make it difficult for the sperm to travel down to the egg to ensure successful fertilization.
In such cases, IUI speeds up the process and gives couples with male-factor infertility a better chance of conceiving naturally.
Cervical mucus is the fluid that your cervix produces, and while that has certain benefits, excess production often makes it difficult for the sperm to reach the egg, leading to infertility.
If a woman is struggling with a similar condition, opting for IUI effectively counters that inhibition and enables successful fertilization for a natural conception.
If you plan to conceive your baby through donor sperm samples, that’s another situation that warrants IUI treatment.
In this case, the donor sperm is treated, isolated, and then introduced into the intended mother’s uterus for further fertilization and conception eventually.
Same-sex female couples who want to get pregnant using donor sperm can opt for IUI. Similarly, same-sex male couples considering exploring the path of surrogacy or IVF using a gestational carrier can also consider IUI for conception.
The IUI procedure is technically a four-step procedure and is comparably one of the less hectic forms of fertility treatments.
Here’s what you need to pay close attention to.
The IUI procedure technically starts with a comprehensive consultation with a fertility specialist who will assess the patient’s overall health, check their medical history, determine if they are a suitable candidate, and then proceed with the treatment.
Before the IUI procedure, the woman’s menstrual cycle is monitored closely. This is primarily done to identify the woman’s most fertile days.
Some of the standard methods used for ovulation tracking include:
In some cases, hormone blood tests are also conducted to confirm ovulation in the patient.
The next step involves the collection of the semen sample, either from the male partner or donor (if that’s what the patients have chosen). The semen sample is collected on the day of the IUI procedure.
Following collection, the sample is then processed in the laboratory to isolate the best-quality sperm from the sample to enhance the success rate of the insemination.
The most vital step in the IUI treatment is the insemination process. For this, the processed sperm from the semen sample is loaded into a thin and flexible catheter.
The woman is asked to lie on the examination table with their feet propped, and the doctor uses a speculum to open the cervix gently and the catheter is inserted into the cervix until it reaches the uterine cavity.
The sperm is then injected into the uterus, where it will eventually meet the egg and the fertilization will occur.
Following the procedure, the intended mother is then asked to rest briefly. The entire procedure is painless and relatively quick as well.
The IUI success rate will vary from one patient to the other. On average, the success rates for IUI range from 10% to 20% per cycle, but age and fertility factors are a major factor influencing these rates.
Some of the factors that we need to keep into account are:
The cost of IUI treatment in India will vary. However, on average, the IUI procedure might cost between INR 10,000 and INR 30,000 or more.
This doesn’t include accessory expenses like consultation fees, tests, medications, equipment, doctor’s fees, etc.
Intrauterine insemination is a relatively safe procedure with minimal to no risk, depending on the expertise and experience of the specialist.
That said, transparency is key when it comes to any medical procedure. So, some of the potential risks that are associated with IUI include:
At Fertility Cure Centre, our specialists guide and support you through the IUI treatment and ensure minimal or non-existent risks.
Intrauterine Insemination (IUI) is a valuable fertility treatment option for couples facing various infertility challenges. While it offers a less invasive approach than other ART treatments, success rates can vary depending on individual circumstances. If you are considering undergoing IUI, consulting with one of our fertility specialists at the Fertility Cure Centre (FCC) can help determine if it is the right choice.
For more details related to the procedure or for consultations, kindly contact us directly or browse through our website.
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