How successful is IUI?

For the patient experiencing fertility problems, the success rate of a treatment plays a major role when deciding on a course of treatment, as well as in the choice of fertility treatment centers. If fertility drugs have not been successful alone, many are faced with the option of IUI, intrauterine insemination, also known as AI or artificial insemination.

The Process Briefly Explained
The IUI treatment utilizes a catheter to insert washed sperm directly into the uterus. This increases the chances of sperm reaching the fallopian tubes, which increases the chance of fertilization.

The process may include medication to stimulate the ovaries and increase the production of eggs. The hormone hCG, or human Chorionic Gonadotropin, is then administered which stimulates the release of the eggs

The IUI fertility treatment is often a course of treatment considered by couples who have been unsuccessful  in conceiving after trying for a year or more. Most fertility treatment centers offer IUI as an option to treat conditions such as:

• sperm with decreased mobility
• low sperm count
• cervical conditions not conducive to sperm
• as the requirement of donor sperm
• sexual dysfunctions

Advantages of IUI
The advantages of this course of treatment include simplicity and comfort. Done by a specialist in the privacy of a fertility treatment center, the process is fast and involves little discomfort. The IUI process is also much more affordable than other ART technologies.

IUI Success Rates
The rates of success for IUI vary in studies, but in most are not very high and range from 4-20%. Women under the age of 35 experience more success than those over and for those for whom it is successful, it is so 10-20% of the time within one cycle. It is generally more successful in trying to overcome a problem with the cervical mucus than a problem with the quality of sperm. Many factors play a part in the rate of success of this treatment and include:

• age and health of woman
• health and mobility of sperm
• timing of insemination

Individual fertility treatment center’s success rates can be found at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention website and may be helpful in choosing a fertility treatment center to begin the reproductive journey. It is also helpful to discuss the success rates of IUI and all reproductive treatments with others who have experienced them and can share in their own IUI Success Stories.

The Downside of IUI
One of the main concerns of the IUI is, when cycles have been stimulated, there is an increased risk of developing Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome, or OHSS. OHSS is developed when a woman’s body responds too well to the fertility drugs used to encourage ovulation, causing the ovaries to swell and leak fluid into the abdomen. Your physician will monitor for OHSS and the fertility treatment center may have a patient admitted to the hospital for a few days for observation as the ovaries come back to their normal state.