Intrauterine insemination

Often before IVF is considered couples may attempt Intrauterine Insemination (IUI). This procedure involves your doctor placing prepared partner’s sperm into the female reproductive tract at the time of ovulation. Blood tests are used to predict ovulation. Then a concentrated preparation of sperm from the male partner’s semen is placed through the cervix, directly into the uterine cavity using a thin catheter. When intrauterine insemination is used it is necessary to separate the sperm from the liquid part of the semen to remove hormones and other substances which could cause adverse reactions or severe uterine contractions following insemination. In order to separate the sperm a scientist will perform a sperm washing procedure. This simple procedure takes minutes and is similar to having a pap smear.

The success rate of IUI depends largely on the cause of the infertility but varies between 5 and 15% for every treatment cycle. Patients with good quality sperm will have a higher chance than those where there are sperm abnormalities.