If you have fertility problems, your doctor may recommend artificial insemination. Artificial insemination is a process whereby sperm are injected directly your cervix or uterus.
Over the past two decades, artificial insemination has been tested and refined. Today, it’s more commonly known as intrauterine insemination (IUI). This distinguishes artificial insemination from its original form, called intracervical insemination (ICI).
Need artificial insemination information?
Artificial insemination with IUI is used in a variety of situations. For example, if you have unknown causes of infertility, your doctor may recommend artificial insemination.
Some couples use artificial insemination because of abnormal sperm or low sperm counts. If you have cervical mucus problems, then artificial insemination may be used as a fertility treatment.
The artificial insemination process
Before proceeding with artificial insemination, you will be carefully monitored to make sure your eggs are developing properly and that your uterus is healthy. You may need to take ovulation-stimulating fertility drugs as well.
Your doctor will obtain the sperm sample, either from your male partner or a sperm donor. The sperm may be washed, processed and concentrated before the artificial insemination procedure.
Sperm “washing” removes the seminal fluid, which includes prostaglandins and other chemicals. During the sperm washing, the sperm are activated so their capacity to fertilize the egg is immediate.
Artificial insemination with IUI
Artificial insemination with IUI must be performed near ovulation. When the artificial insemination procedure begins, the sperm will be injected with a catheter (a tube about the size of a ball point pen refill) through the cervix and into your uterine cavity.
An ultrasound scan may be used before the artificial insemination to check for follicle and endometrial development.
At the time of artificial insemination, the amount and quality of cervical mucus is recorded. You may stay on your back for at least 10 to 15 minutes. A sponge may be inserted vaginally to keep the sperm in your cervix or uterus.
Your doctor may choose to keep the sponge in place for several hours. Although unlike conventional insemination, it is highly unlikely that the sperm will escape.
Getting pregnant with artificial insemination
Success rates with artificial insemination seem to be highest for couples that have no known fertility problems. Age seems to affect artificial insemination, and if you are under 35 you will have the best chances of conceiving with a fertility treatment.
When taking all artificial insemination cycles into account, ICI pregnancy rates hover around 50 percent, while IUI offers couples an 86 percent chance of conceiving.
However, with each insemination cycle, IUI only offers couples a 10-20 percent chance of getting pregnant. By using two artificial inseminations per cycle, and making sure that you are timing the insemination correctly with ovulation, your chances of making a baby is increased!
To boost your chances of getting pregnant even further, some experts believe that lying still for at least 15 minutes after artificial insemination will boost conception rates. Sometimes using frozen sperm during IUI may increase your chance of conceiving. In addition, combining artificial insemination with hormone treatments appears to give infertile couples a better chance of pregnancy than either method alone.
Using artificial insemination with donor sperm
If your male partner is not producing enough sperm, or if his sperm have trouble fertilizing your eggs, donor sperm may be used during artificial insemination.
Many women – single and married – get pregnant using donor sperm. Some couples choose to use donor sperm when the male partner is at risk of passing down a genetic disorder to his children. You can get sperm from an anonymous donor at a sperm bank, or you may choose to use sperm from a friend.
Talk to your doctor today
Go ahead and ask your doctor for more artificial insemination information. A thorough evaluation of you and your partner will be done, including a semen analysis, blood tests and other fertility testing.
The good news is you may be celebrating a pregnancy soon—all with the help of artificial insemination.
Sources: American Pregnancy Association American Society for Reproductive Medicine MedlinePlus Resolve: The National Infertility Association American Urological Association Foundation
