Intrauterine Insemination (IUI)

If you’re having trouble conceiving, we encourage you to consider the range of effective options at our Center for Reproductive Medicine. Among those choices is intrauterine Insemination (IUI), or artificial insemination — a common first step for many of the people we help.

IUI represents one of our least invasive treatments and is cost-effective and straightforward. Our compassionate experts make your time with us as easy and comfortable as possible. You can rest easy thanks to their knowledge and experience.

Who can IUI help?

Couples who’ve had problems conceiving naturally may find IUI a more cost-effective option than other infertility treatments. We typically recommend it to couples who are otherwise healthy, for one of several possible reasons:

• Male infertility
• Poor cervical mucous, the fluid that transports sperm for fertilization
• Unexplained infertility
• Women in same-sex relationships

IUI limitations

With IUI, there’s no way of immediately knowing if fertilization has taken place. The procedure also doesn’t work for everyone. When that happens, many couples choose to try other approaches that may cost more but offer a better chance at success. These options include in vitro fertilization.

How does IUI work?

Artificial insemination improves the chances of conception by:

• Maximizing the number of available sperm
• Shortening the path the sperm need to travel
• Making the sperm ready to fertilize an egg

IUI steps

Artificial insemination can take as little as two hours to complete:

1. We start with a series of brief tests to confirm ovulation.
2. You provide a semen sample, which we clean and concentrate to increase the chance of fertilization. (We can also use donated sperm.)
3. With the semen ready, your infertility specialist uses a catheter (thin, flexible tube) to insert the collected sperm. The catheter is placed into the cervix, uterus or fallopian tubes.
4. We ask you to lie motionless for 10 to 15 minutes. Doing so helps increase the odds of success.
5. We check for pregnancy during a follow-up visit.