Intrauterine insemination (IUI) is a procedure for treating infertility. In-Vitro Fertilization (IVF) are a technology that introduces the female egg (oocyte) and male sperm together in a specialized culture medium where the chances of successful fertilization are greatly enhanced. The embryos are observed and grown in our IVF laboratory, where they are graded for quality and reintroduced to the recipient’s uterus at a multi-cell embryo stage or later at the blastocyst embryo stage. All procedures required during an IVF cycle, including ovarian stimulation and monitoring, egg retrieval, and embryo transfer, are performed on-site in our state-of-the-art facilities.

The most common indications for IUI are cervical mucus abnormalities, low sperm count, low sperm motility, increased sperm viscosity or anti-sperm antibodies, unexplained infertility, and the need to use frozen donor sperm. In natural intercourse, only a fraction of the sperm makes it past the woman’s cervical mucus into the uterus. IUI increases the number of sperm in the fallopian tubes, where fertilization takes place.

Studies show that IUI, or artificial insemination, is most successful when it is coupled with fertility drugs that recruit multiple follicles. This technique often is called controlled ovarian stimulation and IUI.

IUI sometimes is recommended for couples with unspecified infertility who have been trying to have a baby for six to 12 months. You should have a thorough infertility evaluation before trying IUI.