In order to effectively conceive, when a woman is ovulating and during egg release, taking the man’s sperm cells and placing them to fertilise in the uterus is called Intrauterine insemination (IUI). It is a type of artificial insemination.
Conditions in which IUI works well
A couple’s ability to conceive depends on many different factors. Intrauterine insemination is used most often in couples who have:
- Use of donor sperm: Frozen donor sperm is used for IUI to get pregnant.
- Infertility with unexplained causes: Taking medicines for ovulation.
- Endometriosis-related infertility: Giving medicines to get a better quality egg and then doing IUI.
- Male factor infertility : Semen analysis indicates sperm has problems in movement, shape and size, and concentration. This is the cause of male infertility.
- Cervical factor infertility: Too thick cervical mucus stops sperm from swimming to fertilise with egg. Tissue removal scar can also mean IUI is necessary.
- Ovulatory factor infertility: Women with ovulation issues, less egg count, or no ovulation can benefit from IUI.
- Semen allergy: Some proteins in semen cause allergic reactions like rashes and burning on vagina skin. For such ladies to get pregnant, IUI can help because some proteins from semen are removed before IUI.
Risks in the IUI procedure:
IUI (Intrauterine Insemination) has a very low risk as it is a simple and safe procedure. However, some minor risks are there for –
- Getting an infection
- Spotting during pregnancy
- Carrying multiple babies at once in pregnancy
How do you prepare?
In order for the IUI procedure to be the most efficient and effective, few things to watch out for are –
- Semen preparation to remove debris and non moving sperm.
- Monitoring your ovulation and knowing your fertile window in the month
- Getting the right timing to perform the procedure
