Intrauterine Insemination (IUI) is one of the most common types of fertility treatments. IUI has helped many couples struggling with infertility to achieve pregnancy. This procedure uses a small catheter to put “washed and concentrated ” sperm directly into the woman’s uterus close to the fallopian tubes during the time of ovulation. For selected patients, IUI can be an effective and affordable alternative to other fertility treatment options.
Many patients are pleasantly surprised to find out that all they need is Intrauterine Insemination (IUI) treatment, which can be an effective yet more affordable option for them. IUI is less complex than other forms of artificial insemination and it is fairly painless. At Precision IVF we focus on assessing each patient's specific situation to determine your personal path to parenthood. We will work with you to help you understand the reasons for infertility in your case and together we will determine whether IUI is the right option for you.
- Patients who have been diagnosed with:
- Couples using donor sperm
- Same-sex female couples or single women
Dr. Arya is skilled at performing IUI. IUI is a quick outpatient procedure (15-20 minutes) performed at our convenient clinic location. Your IUI treatment process at Precision IVF will include the following steps:
You may receive one of the following medications in the IUI treatment cycle, depending on your diagnosis:
Clomiphene citrate (Clomid) and letrozole (Femara) are oral medications commonly used for the treatment of women with ovulation disorders as reflected by infrequent or irregular menstrual cycles. Clomid or Femara pills are taken orally for 5 to 7 days, typically starting on day 3 of a woman’s menstrual cycle to induce ovulation.
Clomid works at the level of the brain and pituitary gland and facilitates the release of follicle-stimulating hormones (FSH). FSH stimulates the ovaries to grow a follicle (or follicles) and the ovarian hormone estradiol (E2) goes up. This is followed by an increase in the luteinizing hormone (LH), which is produced by the pituitary gland. LH helps in final maturation of the follicle and egg in it, further increasing E2 and progesterone (P4). The initial prescribed dosage of Femara is 2.5 to 5 mg and for Clomid it is 50 to 100 mg (one or two tablets) daily at bedtime, or as prescribed by your physician.
Letrozole works by inhibiting the production of estrogen. When estrogen is low, the pituitary gland gets a message that it needs to produce FSH, which stimulates the ovary to grow a follicle (which has an egg in it). Some women on Clomid or Femara may grow more than one follicle because they produce more FSH while on letrozole than a woman who produces FSH when ovulating naturally.
For IUI to be effective it must be performed before or within 24 hours of ovulation or the egg is no longer fertilizable. The life of an egg is much shorter than the life of the sperm, so there is only a short window of time in which an egg and a sperm can interact and create an embryo. Hence, it is better for the sperm to be in the uterus early rather than late.
In order to appropriately time for this treatment, we carefully monitor your ovulation using a midcycle ultrasound and bloodwork. On an ultrasound we measure the thickness of the uterine lining and assess the ovaries for the number and size of follicles within them. With blood work, we test E2 and P4 (estrogen and progesterone). Increased levels of estrogen indicate follicular development. Once the follicle is mature based on the monitoring, we may use an hCG injection (“trigger shot”) to help in ovulation and timing of the IUI procedure. We will schedule the procedure 1-2 days after ovulation begins.
You will receive personalized treatment instructions to maintain good communication of the plan and timeline. We also give you 24/7 access to our clinical team to assist you through the entire process.
A semen sample (either from a woman’s partner or a sperm donor) will be needed, usually provided by the male after masturbation and prepared in the lab for IUI. Sperm preparation involves placing the sperm sample in a test tube and then a centrifuge, which results in the sperm collecting in a “pellet” at the bottom of the test tube. The seminal fluid is removed and the sperm pellet is suspended in sperm media. The IUI specimen preparation is individualized based on the various parameters like sperm concentration.
This quick (20 minute) procedure involves inserting a thin tube into the uterus to place the concentrated sperm sample. The goal is to get a high number of sperm directly into the uterus, increasing the chances of sperm finding the egg in the fallopian tube, where fertilization takes place. When successful, the sperm fertilizes a woman’s egg and creates an embryo and the embryo travels down into the uterus to implant and grow. After the procedure the patient will lie down for a few minutes before returning to normal daily activities. Patients may experience light spotting for 1-2 days following IUI.
After your IUI, you may be directed to take daily supplemental progesterone—usually in the form of a capsule inserted into your vagina twice a day. This is to support the endometrial lining of the uterus and implantation of the embryo.
Two weeks after the procedure the patient will do an at-home pregnancy test to find out if the procedure was successful. When it is positive, we will plan a blood draw to check the hCG level to confirm pregnancy and subsequently will perform an ultrasound at approximately 6 weeks of pregnancy. For patients who do not become pregnant , we will schedule a follow-up consultation with you to review your IUI protocols and determine the next steps. Many patients try IUI more than once before considering alternative treatment options.
The best way to determine whether IUI is a good choice for you is to schedule a consultation with Dr. Arya to help you understand your treatment options!
At Precision IVF we offer comprehensive care for couples and individuals with infertility, ranging from simple medical therapy to surgery to advanced assisted reproductive technologies.
Business Hours
All Rights Reserved | Precision IVF