IUI Success Rates

When individuals or couples who desire to build families are faced with fertility challenges, they often turn to assisted reproductive technologies (ART). Since its early days, ART has proven to be a reliable partner in helping people become pregnant. As technology and medical science have continued to expand, ART therapies have continually become more sophisticated. As a result, there is a wide variety of ARTs available at a wide range of costs, allowing people from all walks of life to have more choice when it comes to building their families.  

This article will be discussing intrauterine insemination better known as IUI, one of the oldest and more affordable ART options available to people who are facing challenges conceiving naturally. Apart from the cost, we shall also delve into the steps involved in IUI treatments, the benefits, as well as other factors that influence the success of this therapy. Let us get started.

What Is IUI?

IUI is also known as artificial insemination and dates back to the late 1700s when the first successful treatment was recorded in London. The process as the name suggests uses medical processes and equipment to implant sperm into a uterus, so that a person becomes pregnant without having had sexual intercourse. Since the first successful IUI treatment, improvements in technology have expanded the knowledge base in microbiology. This in turn has made the process of IUI more refined, thus increasing the success rates over time.    

What Is the IUI Process?

The IUI process involves four main phases; pre-therapy tests, medication therapy, treatment of the sperm sample and finally, the actual insemination. Let us look at these in more detail. 

Testing

The purpose of the pre-therapy tests is to ensure that the ovaries, fallopian tubes and uterus of the person who will be carrying the pregnancy to term are healthy. As well, these tests will help the professional healthcare provider to determine if the IUI treatment is a viable option. Once these two factors are established, then the healthcare provider will prepare a treatment plan that will schedule the previously mentioned steps in turn. Ideally, this plan will result in pregnancy.

Medication

Medication therapy is used to stimulate the ovaries to develop a healthy egg. This is typically administered in a way that ensures that the treatment is closely synced with the patient’s natural ovulation cycle. This enables healthcare providers to also time implantation phase more accurately. We shall discuss implantation shortly.  

Sperm Sample             

Whereas a person can choose to use sperm from their partner, a known donor, or a third-party sperm donor service, any sperm that would be used has to undergo a clean-up process. This provides for better odds of success. A sperm wash clears a sperm sample of sperm that are not viable, as well, it clears out unwanted materials in the sample that could prevent the success of the treatment. A sperm wash in essence optimizes the sperm sample for better outcomes.

Insemination

The insemination phase of IUI takes place during a person’s ovulation window. Other forms of ART rely on retrieving the eggs, and fertilizing them in a controlled lab setting. With IUI, since there is no egg retrieval, timing the ovulation accurately is crucial. By this time, the uterus, through the medication therapy, has also been prepared to carry the pregnancy. The optimized sperm is now inserted into the uterus using a catheter, in a quick and pain free procedure. While no anesthesia is typically used for this procedure, discomfort afterward is quite normal. This discomfort presents as mild cramps or spotting, but these resolve within a day or two on their own.

Who Can Benefit from IUI?

According to a study out of the University of Pennsylvania, there are a number of persons who can benefit from IUI therapy. Below are some of the key beneficiaries:

• People who have low sperm parameters.
• People facing challenges of erection or ejaculation
• Those relying on donor sperm to build their families
• People who have scar tissue on their cervix, or who have issues affecting their cervix or cervical mucus. 

What Influences the Success of IUI?

There are several factors that influence the success of IUI therapy. We shall be discussing them in this section in a bit more detail.

Age

Age is a crucial player in natural fertility, because fertility declines as we age, as well, IUI relies on natural ovulation. This means that for females, their chances of getting pregnant become slimmer with time. As well, for men, the quality of sperm produced also declines with age. Therefore, the recommendation is that a person aged 25 or below should use sperm from a donor who is 30 years or below.

Ovarian Stimulation

Whereas it is possible to become pregnant using IUI therapy without ovarian stimulation, it has been discovered that when a person incorporates ovarian stimulation protocols, it increases the chances of the treatment’s success by double. As a result, ovarian stimulation in IUI is recommended because it could potentially reduce the likelihood of doing many treatments. 

Timing

Timing in IUI therapy is not just for ovulation, ensuring that the uterine wall is thick enough also contributes to the success of implantation. If the uterine wall is not sufficiently thickened, the embryo may not implant properly, which could lead to miscarriage. Therefore a well-thickenned uterine wall also contributes to a successful pregnancy. 

Treatment Frequency

With IUI treatment, relying on natural ovulation without retrieving the egg for fertilization means that there is a chance that the treatment may not be successful in the first round. This does not mean that success in the first round is not possible. However, in the event that the first procedure is not successful, a person may try again during their next cycle. As well, there is an option to do two treatments within a cycle, which has been observed to increase the likelihood of becoming pregnant. A healthcare provider would be able to advise you accordingly.

What Does IUI Cost?

IUI treatments usually cost $300 to $4,000 per cycle. This figure covers all the costs involved, from consultation, health tests, ovarian stimulation, tracking ovulation, and a single insemination procedure. This cost increases based on how many rounds of treatment a person undergoes. It is quite usual for people to have more than one round of treatment when it comes to IUI therapy. 

Bottom Line

As a pioneer in assisted reproductive therapy, IUI fertility treatment has a long track record of success. For many who are new to ART, IUI tends to be among the first options because it is affordable, and the least invasive of ART therapies. If you would like further assistance in deciding whether IUI is a suitable treatment for you, or you would like to find out more about other fertility treatments, do not hesitate to contact Virginia Fertility & IVF. Our comprehensive family  building healthcare services are available from our team of experts. Let us walk with you on your journey.