Intrauterine insemination is an assisted reproductive technology (ART) used to help infertile couple or couples having difficulty conceiving. Some women who get pregnant naturally undergo miscarriage or stillbirths. Intrauterine insemination gives hopes to couples facing such problems.
What Is Miscarriage?
Miscarriage refers to the end of a pregnancy leading to the death of the fetus because it was incapable of surviving. Many factors contribute to miscarriages, and many times the cause is unknown. Miscarriage can start with vaginal bleeding, abdominal cramps and heavy bleeding. Miscarriages can be quite physically and mentally draining to the couples. Miscarriage treatments might not help certain couples to get pregnant or prevent miscarriage. They can take the help of intrauterine insemination (IUI), an ART method to become pregnant.
What Is an IUI?
IUI means intrauterine insemination. In simple words, sperm is placed in the cervical canal or uterus of the woman to increase the chances of pregnancy. This is one of the ART methods available for helping infertile couples have a child. This is the simplest of the methods of assisted reproduction. IUI has to be done in a period of ovulation. During this period, semen sample is collected in a sterile cup and the sperm is separated from this seminal fluid. It is done by means of sperm wash, and then it is treated with a sperm wash media. Then, this washed and treated sperm is injected into the uterus with the help of a flexible catheter. This insertion can become difficult in certain situations, and in such situations, a device called tantalum is used to hold the cervix.
Success of IUI
The success rate of IUI is 10% to 20% per cycle. After the injection of sperm into the uterus, it may result in a pregnancy when fertilization and implantation succeeds. Hence, the fertility specialist advises couples to have intercourse so that more number of sperms enter the uterus, thereby increasing the chances of getting pregnant. A pregnancy test is done only after 2 weeks of IUI in order to get the exact results. Even after undergoing IUI methods, there are chances that you can have a miscarriage. Nearly 8% of pregnancies after IUI may lead to miscarriage. The success of a pregnancy generally depends on the age of the woman, hormonal imbalances and other physiological issues.
Though the result of IUI is not 100% guaranteed, it is worth trying as the chances of completing the pregnancy cycle is more with IUI treatment than getting pregnant naturally.
