IUI treatment is a form of fertility treatment that helps a higher number of better quality sperm reach the womb, increasing the chances of fertilisation. Intrauterine Insemination (IUI) simply means putting prepared sperm into the uterus. You might have heard it called artificial insemination.
IUI is recommended for people who’ve been unable to conceive a child through natural methods. The most common reasons for this are low sperm count or poor sperm mobility. If you’re a couple younger than 35, you might consider IUI after trying unsuccessfully to conceive for one year. If you’re older than 35, you might be a candidate if you’ve been trying to conceive for six months.
Before undertaking IUI, you and your partner will be assessed to discover the main reason behind your difficulty conceiving. This will help you decide whether IUI is right for you.
A woman will need open and healthy fallopian tubes to be considered for IUI.
IUI will not be offered if you have unexplained fertility, poor quality sperm of mild endometriosis, as research suggests it’s unlikely to increase your chances of pregnancy.
New patient enquiries:
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IUI is a process that puts healthy sperm directly into the uterus. To do this, a vial containing a sperm sample is attached to a catheter. This is inserted through the vagina and the cervical opening, finishing in the uterus. Sperm is then pushed through the tube and into the uterus.
The procedure only takes a few minutes to complete, and is almost always completely painless. Some mild discomfort may occur, and you may experience mild cramps, but both feelings should disappear once the process is over.
We time IUI treatment to coincide with ovulation, using blood or urine tests and ultrasound to carefully monitor the ovulation cycle. If needed, we might also trigger ovulation with medication and then time the procedure to take place 36 hours later.
Before undertaking IUI, it’s worth remembering that - as with any fertility treatment - there is no guarantee of success. IUI success rates are around 13%, and you may require multiple cycles in order to conceive.
We have over 25 years of IUI expertise, and one of our fertility specialists would be happy to talk you through the process and any risks associated with it.
While the risks of IUI are incredibly low, there is still a chance of the following:
Whilst IUI is a less invasive and less expensive option than IVF, pregnancy rates from IUI are lower than IVF. Reasons include the fact that there is no monitoring of embryo development or selection of the most viable embryo as we can do with IVF.
The success of IUI depends on many factors, including:
Many people seeking fertility treatment may wonder, what’s the difference between IUI and IVF ? In IUI, sperm are inserted into the uterus to fertilise an egg, whereas IVF involves collecting eggs and fertilising them in a lab, before transferring a cultured embryo back into the uterus. Patients choosing between IUI and IVF fertility treatments should consider:
On average the cost of IUI with a partner sperm at CARE Fertility costs £980. The cost of IUI with donor sperm costs from £1965 - £2095 when using CARE's sperm bank, or if using imported donor sperm between £1185 - £1560.
For more information on the cost of IUI, check your local clinic's fee schedule or call our new patient enquiry team on 0800 564 2270.
If you’re interested in IUI with CARE, speak to your local clinic or book a consultation.