Artificial insemination is often recommended in the setting of short-term unexplained infertility or sexual difficulties as an initial treatment before moving on to more complex fertility treatments such as IVF.
If your fertility specialist recommends artificial insemination, in most cases it is reasonable to complete three to six treatment cycles depending on your particular circumstances before moving onto other treatments such as IVF.
Artificial insemination in more detail
The artificial insemination technique we use at Melbourne IVF is known as intrauterine insemination (IUI). It involves inserting the male partner’s (or donor’s) prepared sperm sample through the neck of the womb (cervix) and into the uterus, close to the time of ovulation.
This procedure can be performed during a natural cycle or with additional hormonal stimulation (ovulation induction). The decision as to the best technique will be discussed with you by your fertility specialist.
To determine the day of ovulation, we monitor the woman’s cycle – this is often referred to as ‘cycle tracking’. When follicle development has reached a certain size, we usually give an injection of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) which triggers the process of ovulation. We then insert the prepared sperm directly into the uterine cavity using a speculum and a very thin tube. This process is similar to a pap smear with regard to discomfort.
Using donor sperm
Artificial insemination is used when couples need to use a sperm donor. Donor sperm may be recommended when the male partner has problems with sperm quality or production, including when the sperm is of very poor quality, or if there is a high risk of passing on a genetic disease. Artificial insemination using a sperm donor is also an option for single women or same sex couples.
The donor may be someone you know, or you could use donated sperm from the clinic.
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