Intrauterine insemination (IUI)

Intrauterine insemination (IUI) isn’t a complex procedure compared to other fertility treatment methods. During the IUI treatment, embryologists prepare the semen sample of a partner (or donor’s sperm) that is introduced directly into the patient’s uterus through the cervix with the help of a special catheter. IUI is the in vivo type of fertilization, which means the egg is always fertilized inside the human body, unlike in-vitro, when fertilization occurs in a laboratory. It is also considered to be one of the least invasive treatment types.

Who should consider IUI treatment?

Any woman who decides to proceed with IUI should be healthy and prepared; she must undergo the obligatory tests and examinations before starting this program. Firstly, she has no serious issues with conception. Secondly, IUI is only possible if a woman has no problems with her fallopian tubes. Thirdly, she should ovulate regularly.

Normally, intrauterine insemination is recommended when there are problems connected with sperm motility. IUI simplifies fertilization and helps spermatozoa reach the oocyte inside the woman’s body.

Insemination is a frequent recommendation in such cases:

• Male infertility
• Issues with ovulation (IUI treatment along with the medication that triggers ovulation)
• It is also a good decision for single women who may choose to have donor’s material

What are the stages?

The first step always takes place at the beginning of a woman’s cycle. It’s crucial in this treatment type to track ovulation because insemination should always be done right before it. Your doctor helps you with this; you just have to visit the clinic three-four times and do ultrasounds. When a doctor tells you that you are ready for the insemination, the sperm sample is taken and prepared (washed). This washing procedure won’t increase its quality, but it will separate the sperm from the seminal fluid type.

During the insemination, the sperm is injected into the uterine cavity through a very thin catheter. This process takes no longer than a few minutes, and when the procedure is over, the woman needs to rest for around half an hour.

There are two types of IUI – natural and stimulated. IUI can be done during the natural cycle when you do not use any medication because you ovulate regularly, and it can be easily tracked. If there is no ovulation in each cycle or there are some problems with it, medication may be required. 

Intrauterine insemination is quite a safe kind of procedure; there is only 1% risk of having an infection. Taking into account that the reproductive clinics always comply with strict disinfection requirements and that fact that insemination is done in a sterile environment, this risk of getting infected is almost zero.

IUI and possible success rates

There is a large number of factors that affect the chances for a good outcome of intrauterine insemination. Some of them include the quality of sperm, its morphology, and its motility. Any man has to do at least the semen analysis before providing the material for the insemination purposes because the medical staff has to be sure there are at least 3 million motile spermatozoa.

Sometimes, inseminations with the stimulation drugs give better results than ones in the natural cycle. Understandably, any woman would prefer the minimum of medication involved, but sometimes it may put you closer to motherhood.

However, there is no fertility agency that could guarantee high average success results with IUI if a woman or a man present any issues with their reproductive health or tell you how many IUI attempts you may need to get pregnant with such a desired child. However, if there are no such health conditions, it may be a pretty effective solution to assist you in becoming a parent.

What are the other options if IUI does not result in pregnancy?

If IUI is not resultative, your doctor may recommend you to resort to other infertility treatment solutions after undergoing a number of laboratory tests and examinations. If any issues are identified, our doctors in “Parens Fertility” in Lviv will develop an individual treatment program for every case. You may need a simple treatment with medication or something more complex, such as IVF with your own oocytes. If there are any genetic diseases in your medical history, you can also resort to PGD by NGS to ensure that your future baby will be completely healthy.

Among other infertility treatment options, our agency “Parens Fertility” offers Surrogacy Programs in Ukraine for foreigners, who can’t use such services in their own country, because it is either forbidden, too expensive, or too complicated (like in Germany, Italy, France, etc.). Many patients from the EU countries search where to find surrogacy services abroad because Google search for “surrogacy near me” doesn’t result in anything meaningful. Such patients discover that going abroad is on average cheaper, and Ukrainian reproductive centers provide as qualitative services as any European clinic.

“Parens Fertility” offers you a wide range of services at a reasonable price. We have almost 10 years of experience in this field and our doctors and experts regularly visit training in the best European clinics (in Poland, Germany, France, the USA).

Don’t hesitate to contact us and schedule a consultation with our manager. We will be glad to assist you in feeling the joy of motherhood!

Cost of IUI

Initial consultation with your personal IVF specialist and Medical Coordinator Creation of the treatment plan Intrauterine insemination Constant support during the treatment Assistance with travel arrangements

From 600 EUR