The Science Behind IUI: How Does Intrauterine
Insemination Work?
Are You struggling to conceive naturally and curious to understand more about intrauterine
insemination (IUI), an option available to increase chances of pregnancy? We explain its science here
in this blog post! In it we explain exactly what intrauterine insemination (IUI) entails as an option that
may increase chances of conception for you and increase your odds of having a baby! In this blog
post we cover how intrauterine insemination can increase chances of conception compared with
natural means! In this blog post we explain all its details as an option that might increase chances.
What Is IUI?
Intrauterine Insemination (IUI) is an artificial insemination procedure which involves placing washed
and concentrated sperm directly into a woman's uterus to increase her chances of pregnancy. IUI
works by increasing the amount of sperm reaching fallopian tubes where they can fertilize an egg -
improving quality and motility at the same time. Who Can Benefit From IUI? Who could Benefit
From IUI?
Who can benefit from IUI?
IUI can be beneficial to couples or individuals experiencing difficulty conceiving due to various
causes, including:
1. Unexplained infertility: In cases with no clear cause for infertility, IUI may provide the first
line treatment option which might work for some.
2. Mild male factor infertility: When the count, motility or morphology (shape and size) of
sperm falls slightly below average, IUI may help mitigate some of these challenges by
providing more sperm to reach the uterus and potentially fertilize an egg.
3. Cervical Factor Infertility: IUI may help increase chances of fertilization when the cervix or
cervical mucus acts against sperm entering the uterus by bypassing this barrier and
increasing fertilization chances.
4. Endometriosis-Related Infertility: When endometriosis causes inflammation or scarring to
the ovaries or fallopian tubes, IUI may be combined with medications designed to increase
ovulation rates and thus increase available eggs for fertilization.
5. Donor Sperm: IUI is often chosen as the method for inseminating with donor sperm in cases
when women need donor sperm to become pregnant, either because their partner does not
possess healthy genetic material, or due to any potential genetic disorders they don't want
their offspring inheriting.
6. Same-sex couples or single women: If a woman wishes to become pregnant either with
another female partner or on her own, using donor sperm and IUI, she can use donor sperm
in combination with IVF treatments in order to achieve pregnancy.
7. Moderate to severe male factor infertility: When sperm count, motility or morphology falls
below acceptable levels for IUI to work effectively enough, alternative approaches such as in
vitro fertilization with intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) might be more suitable.
8. Blocked or damaged fallopian tubes: When fallopian tubes become blocked or damaged,
preventing the egg and sperm from meeting, IUI will no longer work and IVF may be
necessary to achieve pregnancy.
9. Severe Endometriosis: When endometriosis causes extensive damage to pelvic organs and
reduces egg quality or quantity, IVF offers greater chances for successful pregnancy than IUI
alone.
How Does IUI Work
The IUI process typically entails several steps performed at a fertility clinic. Depending on your
circumstances, medications may or may not be prescribed to stimulate ovaries and induce ovulation.
Here are the main steps of IUI:
1. Ovarian Stimulation (optional): If medications are necessary to stimulate and induce
ovulation in you, begin taking them at the start of each menstrual cycle. These could include
oral pills like Clomiphene citrate (Clomid), as well as injectable hormones like FSH and human
chorionic gonadotropin (HCG). These medicines will increase egg production from your
ovaries and improve your chances of conception.
2. Ovulation Monitoring: No matter your pregnancy plans or medications of choice, monitoring
ovulation is key for a successful IUI procedure. Monitoring with urine tests, blood tests or
ultrasound scans will allow you to gauge when and how your ovulation will happen - the
optimal time being 24-36 hours post the surge in LH production which triggers it.
3. Sperm Collection and Prep: On the day of an IUI procedure, either your partner or donor will
provide a semen sample at the clinic for processing in a laboratory, where sperm will be
separated from seminal fluid and other cells and washed and concentrated using special
solutions that enhance quality and motility before being placed into a syringe with thin
catheter attached for collection and transfer to you syringe.
4. Sperm Insemination (IUI): At a clinic, an IUI procedure is typically carried out by either a
doctor or nurse, after you lie on an examination table with legs in stirrups and have your
speculum placed into your vagina to visualize your cervix and then inserting a catheter
through it and into your uterus, before injecting sperm directly into it and withdrawing both
catheter and speculum afterwards. Normally this process is painless but you may experience
slight cramping or spotting after IUI but this should not have any bearing on chances of
conception or success!
5. Pregnancy Test: Once IUI treatment has completed, you should wait two weeks before taking
a pregnancy test. Either a home test or returning to the clinic for blood work are appropriate
methods of detection. If it comes back positive, congratulations - you are pregnant! If not,
don't despair just yet: try again with IUI next cycle or discuss other alternatives with your
physician.
What are the Success Rates of IUI?
Success rates of IUI depend on several factors, including age, cause and duration of infertility, quality
and quantity of sperm produced, number and quality of eggs produced as well as use of medications.
According to some studies, an estimated pregnancy rate per cycle of IUI ranges between 10-20
percent with individual rates varying depending on individual factors - so while cumulative success
may exceed single cycle success.
Some factors that could increase your chances of getting pregnant through IUI include:
• Being younger than 35 years old
• Possessing a good ovarian reserve (the quantity and quality of eggs in your ovaries)
• Having normal sperm count, motility and morphology.
• You are experiencing unexplained infertility or mild male factor infertility
• You are taking fertility-inducing medications
• You have multiple follicles (egg-containing sacs) on both ovaries
• have an ideal endometrial lining (the inner layer of your uterus).
• Ideally time your insemination as soon as possible
What are IUI's risks and side effects?
IUI is typically safe and well tolerated with few risks and side effects; however, complications that
could arise include:
1. Infection: There is a small risk that bacteria could enter your uterus during IUI procedures
and lead to infection; however, this can be minimized with proper hygiene precautions and
antibiotic use if required.
2. Bleeding: While IUI procedures carry some risk for bleeding or injury to your cervix and/or
uterus, this risk can be reduced with gentle techniques and equipment.
3. Multiple Pregnancy: When combined with IUI, using medications that induce ovulation
increase your chances of twin or multiple pregnancy and may lead to complications including
preterm labor, low birth weight, preeclampsia gestational diabetes or cesarean delivery. You
can decrease this risk by monitoring ovulation more carefully and restricting how many
follicles develop on your ovaries.
4. Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome (OHSS): This rare yet serious condition can arise when
using injectable hormones with IUI. OHSS causes your ovaries to produce too many eggs,
leading to symptoms like abdominal pain, bloating, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea as well as
weight gain, shortness of breath and fluid accumulation in either your abdomen or chest
area. In severe cases this can even result in blood clots, kidney failure or death - to avoid this
possibility use low doses of hormones and monitor closely your ovarian response closely and
monitor closely.
Where can you get IUI treatment in Delhi?
If you are looking for IUI Treatment in Delhi, you may want to consider World Infertility and IVF
Centre. One of the leading IVF centres in Delhi/NCR. With over 70 years of healthcare legacy and
20,000+ happy couples, World Infertility and IVF Centre offers comprehensive and personalized
fertility care with state-of-the-art technology and highly qualified doctors.
World Infertility and IVF Centre has a team of experienced infertility specialists who can diagnose
and treat various causes of infertility using advanced techniques such as IVF, ICSI, blastocyst transfer,
laser-assisted hatching, cryopreservation, donor programmes, hysteroscopy, laparoscopy, and male
infertility treatment.

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The Science Behind IUI.pdf

  • 1. The Science Behind IUI: How Does Intrauterine Insemination Work? Are You struggling to conceive naturally and curious to understand more about intrauterine insemination (IUI), an option available to increase chances of pregnancy? We explain its science here in this blog post! In it we explain exactly what intrauterine insemination (IUI) entails as an option that may increase chances of conception for you and increase your odds of having a baby! In this blog post we cover how intrauterine insemination can increase chances of conception compared with natural means! In this blog post we explain all its details as an option that might increase chances. What Is IUI? Intrauterine Insemination (IUI) is an artificial insemination procedure which involves placing washed and concentrated sperm directly into a woman's uterus to increase her chances of pregnancy. IUI works by increasing the amount of sperm reaching fallopian tubes where they can fertilize an egg - improving quality and motility at the same time. Who Can Benefit From IUI? Who could Benefit From IUI? Who can benefit from IUI? IUI can be beneficial to couples or individuals experiencing difficulty conceiving due to various causes, including: 1. Unexplained infertility: In cases with no clear cause for infertility, IUI may provide the first line treatment option which might work for some.
  • 2. 2. Mild male factor infertility: When the count, motility or morphology (shape and size) of sperm falls slightly below average, IUI may help mitigate some of these challenges by providing more sperm to reach the uterus and potentially fertilize an egg. 3. Cervical Factor Infertility: IUI may help increase chances of fertilization when the cervix or cervical mucus acts against sperm entering the uterus by bypassing this barrier and increasing fertilization chances. 4. Endometriosis-Related Infertility: When endometriosis causes inflammation or scarring to the ovaries or fallopian tubes, IUI may be combined with medications designed to increase ovulation rates and thus increase available eggs for fertilization. 5. Donor Sperm: IUI is often chosen as the method for inseminating with donor sperm in cases when women need donor sperm to become pregnant, either because their partner does not possess healthy genetic material, or due to any potential genetic disorders they don't want their offspring inheriting. 6. Same-sex couples or single women: If a woman wishes to become pregnant either with another female partner or on her own, using donor sperm and IUI, she can use donor sperm in combination with IVF treatments in order to achieve pregnancy. 7. Moderate to severe male factor infertility: When sperm count, motility or morphology falls below acceptable levels for IUI to work effectively enough, alternative approaches such as in vitro fertilization with intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) might be more suitable. 8. Blocked or damaged fallopian tubes: When fallopian tubes become blocked or damaged, preventing the egg and sperm from meeting, IUI will no longer work and IVF may be necessary to achieve pregnancy. 9. Severe Endometriosis: When endometriosis causes extensive damage to pelvic organs and reduces egg quality or quantity, IVF offers greater chances for successful pregnancy than IUI alone.
  • 3. How Does IUI Work The IUI process typically entails several steps performed at a fertility clinic. Depending on your circumstances, medications may or may not be prescribed to stimulate ovaries and induce ovulation. Here are the main steps of IUI: 1. Ovarian Stimulation (optional): If medications are necessary to stimulate and induce ovulation in you, begin taking them at the start of each menstrual cycle. These could include oral pills like Clomiphene citrate (Clomid), as well as injectable hormones like FSH and human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG). These medicines will increase egg production from your ovaries and improve your chances of conception. 2. Ovulation Monitoring: No matter your pregnancy plans or medications of choice, monitoring ovulation is key for a successful IUI procedure. Monitoring with urine tests, blood tests or ultrasound scans will allow you to gauge when and how your ovulation will happen - the optimal time being 24-36 hours post the surge in LH production which triggers it. 3. Sperm Collection and Prep: On the day of an IUI procedure, either your partner or donor will provide a semen sample at the clinic for processing in a laboratory, where sperm will be separated from seminal fluid and other cells and washed and concentrated using special solutions that enhance quality and motility before being placed into a syringe with thin catheter attached for collection and transfer to you syringe. 4. Sperm Insemination (IUI): At a clinic, an IUI procedure is typically carried out by either a doctor or nurse, after you lie on an examination table with legs in stirrups and have your speculum placed into your vagina to visualize your cervix and then inserting a catheter through it and into your uterus, before injecting sperm directly into it and withdrawing both catheter and speculum afterwards. Normally this process is painless but you may experience slight cramping or spotting after IUI but this should not have any bearing on chances of conception or success! 5. Pregnancy Test: Once IUI treatment has completed, you should wait two weeks before taking a pregnancy test. Either a home test or returning to the clinic for blood work are appropriate methods of detection. If it comes back positive, congratulations - you are pregnant! If not, don't despair just yet: try again with IUI next cycle or discuss other alternatives with your physician. What are the Success Rates of IUI? Success rates of IUI depend on several factors, including age, cause and duration of infertility, quality and quantity of sperm produced, number and quality of eggs produced as well as use of medications. According to some studies, an estimated pregnancy rate per cycle of IUI ranges between 10-20 percent with individual rates varying depending on individual factors - so while cumulative success may exceed single cycle success. Some factors that could increase your chances of getting pregnant through IUI include: • Being younger than 35 years old • Possessing a good ovarian reserve (the quantity and quality of eggs in your ovaries) • Having normal sperm count, motility and morphology. • You are experiencing unexplained infertility or mild male factor infertility
  • 4. • You are taking fertility-inducing medications • You have multiple follicles (egg-containing sacs) on both ovaries • have an ideal endometrial lining (the inner layer of your uterus). • Ideally time your insemination as soon as possible What are IUI's risks and side effects? IUI is typically safe and well tolerated with few risks and side effects; however, complications that could arise include: 1. Infection: There is a small risk that bacteria could enter your uterus during IUI procedures and lead to infection; however, this can be minimized with proper hygiene precautions and antibiotic use if required. 2. Bleeding: While IUI procedures carry some risk for bleeding or injury to your cervix and/or uterus, this risk can be reduced with gentle techniques and equipment. 3. Multiple Pregnancy: When combined with IUI, using medications that induce ovulation increase your chances of twin or multiple pregnancy and may lead to complications including preterm labor, low birth weight, preeclampsia gestational diabetes or cesarean delivery. You can decrease this risk by monitoring ovulation more carefully and restricting how many follicles develop on your ovaries. 4. Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome (OHSS): This rare yet serious condition can arise when using injectable hormones with IUI. OHSS causes your ovaries to produce too many eggs, leading to symptoms like abdominal pain, bloating, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea as well as weight gain, shortness of breath and fluid accumulation in either your abdomen or chest area. In severe cases this can even result in blood clots, kidney failure or death - to avoid this possibility use low doses of hormones and monitor closely your ovarian response closely and monitor closely. Where can you get IUI treatment in Delhi? If you are looking for IUI Treatment in Delhi, you may want to consider World Infertility and IVF Centre. One of the leading IVF centres in Delhi/NCR. With over 70 years of healthcare legacy and
  • 5. 20,000+ happy couples, World Infertility and IVF Centre offers comprehensive and personalized fertility care with state-of-the-art technology and highly qualified doctors. World Infertility and IVF Centre has a team of experienced infertility specialists who can diagnose and treat various causes of infertility using advanced techniques such as IVF, ICSI, blastocyst transfer, laser-assisted hatching, cryopreservation, donor programmes, hysteroscopy, laparoscopy, and male infertility treatment.