IUI
Dr. Lane and her experienced team have helped many families from The North Bay, Novato, and San Francisco, CA with IUI, or Intrauterine Insemination. Please contact the highly experienced fertility experts at the Lane Fertility Institute for more information.
IUI Q&A
What is IUI?
IUI, Intrauterine Insemination, is sometimes referred to as artificial insemination. During this process sperm are inserted into the patient’s uterus. This procedure is effective for some causes of infertility including minor to moderate male factor issues, mild endometriosis and ovulation issues. The procedure is mostly used for women under the age of 41. For optimized effectiveness, the woman uses FSH to increase her ova production and the semen specimen is collected into a sterile cup after two to five days of abstinence.
How is IUI performed?
First the woman takes medications to stimulate the development of multiple eggs and the procedure is timed to coincide with ovulation. The semen is collected and then washed in the laboratory. This means that the sperm is separated from the other parts of the semen and concentrated in small volume. This step takes between 30 and 60 minutes. When the sperm is processed, a speculum is placed in the woman’s vagina and the cervix is gently cleaned. The sperm concentrate is then inserted into the cervix or higher in the uterine cavity using a thin and flexible catheter. The process should feel similar to a pap smear with little to no discomfort.
What is the Success Rate for this Process?
It is difficult to give specific statistics as success rates are affected by several factors including the age of the woman, the quality of the sperm, and whether or not the process includes follicle stimulating drugs. However, the Human Fertilization & Embryology Authority estimates that up to 15.8% of IUI procedures are successful. However, as the mother’s age increases the estimated success rates decrease. If this procedure is not suitable or not successful for the patient, Dr. Lane and her associates will discuss and recommend other treatments.
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