Introduction
One of the treatments for infertility offered at Maa Nursing Home and NetraJyoti Eyecare Centre is IUI.
IUI- Intrauterine Insemination is an infertility treatment method, where the sperms of a male are placed directly into the uterine cavity of a woman. This procedure uses an artificial insemination method to get the woman pregnant. In this treatment, highly motile sperms are washed free of seminal plasma and other cells and processed for placement. Then, these concentrated sperms are placed artificially in the woman’s uterus for fertilization. As the sperms are placed in the woman’s reproductive organ, by means other than intercourse, it is termed artificial insemination. IUI is one of the revolutionary methods of fulfilling motherhood desire for a woman. Her partner or an anonymous donor (egg donor) can give the sperm.
When does the doctor advise IUI?
Doctors advise IUI to couples who have infertility problems due to the following conditions:
- Difficulty in vaginal intercourse, for example, due to physical disability or psychosexual problem
- Male Subfertility
- Cervical infections
- Immunological factor
- Endometriosis in woman
- Ejaculatory failure
- Couple wishes for donor sperm
When does the doctor advise to go for an Artificial Insemination donation?
If there are problems with male sperm, the doctor can advise going for sperm donation; in cases where the male partner has azoospermia (obstructive or non-obstructive), low quality of sperm production or when there is the chance of transmission of genetic disorder to the offspring.
How is IUI done?
After the initial counselling of the couple, the ovarian stimulation is done along with monitoring of the ovulation. Oral medicines or injections are given for ovarian stimulation. Then the semen is collected from the male partner or donor. This semen needs to be processed to extract the sperm using the Swim-up or Density Gradient method. In the case of donor sperm, it is quarantined for six months to prevent transmission of any STDs like HIV.
After the sperm is washed and made ready, it is placed in the uterus. Usually, single insemination is done 12-36 hours after HCG injection (injection for rupture of eggs) is given to the woman.
Then, one waits to check if the egg fertilizes, and the woman conceives.
Usually, IUI is attempted for three cycles. If it fails, the couple is advised to go for IVF and ICSI.