IUI treatment

Treatment indications

IUI can be done in women with a normal ovulation process and a natural menstrual cycle. Otherwise, hormonal stimulation of the ovaries is required during which the ovaries can develop more than one egg simultaneously.

A definite indication for IUI includes an immunologic cause of infertility in which the woman's cervix contains sperm antibodies that do not let the sperm pass through it.

Advantages

• The simplest method of assisted reproduction
• Pain-free method
• Performed on an outpatient basis without anesthesia
• Fast and inexpensive method (covered by health insurance)

IUI PRINCIPLES

For an IUI method, the sperm is prepared in the laboratory by selecting the one with the highest motility factor. Then, the sperm is placed into the uterine cavity, which shortens the journey to the egg and enhances the chances of conception. If the man does not show any sperm cells present in the ejaculate or has very low-quality sperm, an IUI can be performed using the donor sperm. The procedure for sperm insemination is similar to a normal gynecological examination. Inserting the catheter with sperm cells is painless and does not require bed rest.

Insemination using partner’s sperm:

On the day of insemination, the partner provides his sperm sample via masturbation and delivers it to the laboratory. The sample is immediately processed so that the most motile spermatozoa are selected (most often they are selected using the swim-up method – by swimming into the medium). In approximately 2 hours, the sample is ready, and the insemination can be performed in the doctor’s office.

Insemination using donor’s sperm:

In couples when the man’s ejaculate does not contain spermatozoa of very poor quality, the donor’s sperm can be used for intrauterine insemination. The preparation of the donor insemination takes approximately 2 hours.

Sperm donors are healthy, intelligent men under the age of 35 who meet the strict requirements for reproductive cell donation and are genetically tested and test negative for STDs (sexually transmitted diseases). The donor sperm is frozen and can be used only after a 6-month wait period when it is confirmed that the donor does not show STDs. Sperm donation is anonymous, but it is possible to select a donor based on a similar appearance to the patient’s partner, such as height, hair, and eye color.