Intrauterine Insemination (IUI)
What is IUI?
Intrauterine Insemination (IUI) is a process where sperm is placed directly inside a woman’s uterus to facilitate fertilization. IUI is performed to increase the number of sperm that reach the fallopian tubes thereby increasing the chance of fertilization.
intrauterine Insemination (IUI) with Pinnacle
- Non-Invasive and Cost-Effective Option: IUI is a less invasive and more affordable alternative to IVF, making it an accessible first-line treatment for many couples experiencing fertility issues. It's particularly suitable for those with unexplained infertility, mild male factor infertility, or cervical mucus problems.
- Higher Chances of Conception: By directly placing washed and concentrated sperm into the uterus around the time of ovulation, IUI increases the number of sperm that reach the fallopian tubes, thereby enhancing the likelihood of fertilization and pregnancy.
- Suitable for Diverse Family Structures: IUI is a popular choice for single women and lesbian couples wishing to conceive. It can be performed using donor sperm, allowing a wider range of individuals and couples to pursue their dream of parenthood.
Who Is IUI Right For?
IUI at Pinnacle may be right for heterosexual and LGBTQIA+ couples and singles who:
- Have unexplained infertility
- Have cervical conditions
- Have ejaculation issues
- Same-sex women couples
The IUI Journey
Fertility Testing and Diagnosis
Depending on your reason for choosing IUI, you’ll go through diagnostic testing to look into the cause of your infertility. IUI is not always necessary or feasible, so your doctor might recommend alternative treatments to start.
Care Coordination and Financial Consultation
A Pinnacle staff member will go over the financial side of the IUI process with you. Your clinical team will review your calendar, order your medication, and prepare you for your treatment.
Pre-IUI Hormonal Preparation
To prepare your body for IUI, you may need to take birth control pills. It might seem counterintuitive, but birth control helps:
- Prepare your ovaries to respond better to hyperstimulation medicine
- Coordinate your cycle so you can plan your treatment around your schedule
In addition to starting birth control, we may perform additional tests and recommend lifestyle adjustments as needed.
Stimulating Egg Production(Optional)
Depending on your care plan, you may begin hormonal treatments by either taking a pill or an injectable medication that encourages your ovaries to produce more mature eggs than they would naturally. This stage takes about 10 days, after which you’ll inject a “trigger shot” at home to induce ovulation.
If your care plan doesn’t include egg production stimulation, you’ll follow your natural cycle before injecting the trigger shot.
Sperm Collection/Processing and Insemination
24-36 hours after the trigger shot, you’ll come in for sperm selection and insemination.
First, a semen sample will be collected and washed, a process that separates sperm cells from the rest of the seminal fluid and removes dead and weak sperm cells, bacteria, and debris.
Once sperm is processed, we perform the insemination. During the minimally invasive procedure, your doctor will insert a speculum to view your cervix (similar to a Pap smear) and place a thin, flexible tube through the cervix into the uterus. The selected sperm will be injected through this tube. The whole process takes a few minutes and is usually painless — you may experience mild cramping and you may experience spotting for one to two days after the procedure, but you can return to your normal activities immediately.
Pregnancy Testing & Monitoring
After the IUI, you'll take medications that help support your pregnancy in the early stages. After about two weeks, you’ll take a pregnancy test. If the test is positive, we’ll administer another test soon after to make sure the pregnancy is progressing successfully. If everything goes well, you’ll be well on your journey to building your family. If your pregnancy test is negative, we’ll schedule a follow-up visit to discuss your options.
Intrauterine Insemination FAQs
Intrauterine Insemination (IUI) is a process where sperm is placed directly inside a woman’s uterus to facilitate fertilization. IUI is performed to increase the number of sperm that reach the fallopian tubes thereby increasing the chance of fertilization. Read more about IUI here.
The difference between IUI and IVF is that IUI inserts washed semen into a woman's uterus in an attempt to fertilize an egg, while IVF creates an embryo in a lab and then transfers it in the uterus where it hopefully implants. Read more about IUI vs. IVF.
The process starts by notifying the clinic on the first day of your cycle. Depending on your treatment plan, you typically take a limited course of oral medications that encourage the recruitment and growth of 1-2 dominant follicles. This is followed by a trigger shot to induce ovulation. The timing of the trigger shot is determined by an ultrasound to see and measure the dominant follicles.
A day or two after the trigger shot, you'll come to the fertility clinic for insemination. The sperm sample is collected and processed, which essentially extracts the seminal fluid and only uses healthy sperm cells. Similar to a pap smear, the cervix is visualized using a vaginal speculum and the sperm is inserted through a tube that goes through your cervix into the uterus. The sperm is then deposited. Read more about IUI here.
There are a few tasks that need to happen in preparation of an IUI procedure:
- Ovulation monitoring: Your doctor may monitor your natural ovulation cycle to schedule your IUI. This might involve an ultrasound and bloodwork to view ovarian follicles and determine the stage of your cycle.
- Semen sample preparation: A semen sample is not only collected, it's also optimized to maximize the chances of successful fertilization. It is washed to remove dead and weak cells, as well as bacteria. It also removes seminal fluid so only the strongest sperm cells are used in the IUI process.
- Optimal timing: As you go through the preparation stages for your IUI procedure, your doctor will schedule the treatment on the optimal timing based on your body and evidence-based best practices. In addition to monitoring your ovulation, the process is also scheduled based on research revealing the best IUI time is the 24- to 36-hour window following the trigger shot.
There are a number of factors that can lead to a successful IUI. Some of them include age of the mother, weight of the mother, male factor infertility, fallopian tube blockage, severe endometriosis, pelvic infections and more. You can read more about IUI success rates
The IUI procedure is a low-risk fertility treatment, but there are some potential symptoms and side effects to be aware of. You can read more about potential risks here.
At Pinnacle, we charge $2000 for IUI. Compared to other types of fertility treatments, it's one of the cheapest options out there. It's also a fast outpatient procedure. You can read more about IUI at Pinnacle here.
Implantation typically occurs 6-12 days after an IUI is conducted.
Unless instructed otherwise by a doctor, you can return to normal activity immediately following an IUI procedure. It is typical to experience some light spotting and cramping in the days following the procedure. Additionally, it is important to treat your body as though it’s pregnant by avoiding alcohol, drugs, and limiting caffeine.
After an IUI, you’ll take medications to help support your pregnancy in the early stages. A pregnancy test is taken about two weeks after the IUI procedure. If it is positive, we’ll administer another test in our office to confirm.
The appropriate number of developing follicles in an IUI cycle is highly dependent on your age and history. Your doctor will be able to set your medication based on this information aiming for the best and safest outcome.
Get started on your fertility journey
