La intrauterine insemination It is a procedure that involves placing sperm directly in the woman's uterus, very close to the fallopian tubes, with the purpose of increasing the chances that the sperm will fertilize the egg. It is known as IUI, for its acronym in English, or as artificial insemination, although, in reality, intrauterine insemination is a type of artificial insemination.
What is intrauterine insemination about
A sperm's natural journey is a long journey. First, hundreds of millions of sperm reach the vagina. Of all these, only a few million reach the cervix. The number drops to tens of thousands in the womb and thousands in the upper part of the uterus. It is there, near the fallopian tubes, that they have a chance of fertilising an egg. Let's say they are like filters and what you do in an intrauterine insemination is to skip them: around 100,000,000 sperm cells are placed in the upper part of the uterus to increase the chances of fertilization.
An ideal treatment for some
For whom yes:
- Women with irregular menstrual periods
- Men with a low amount of sperm
- Women with blockage in a fallopian tube
- Single women
- LGBT+ people
- Couples facing infertility problems with no apparent explanation
For those who don't:
- Women with a low number of eggs
- Men with a very low amount of sperm
- Women with blockage in both fallopian tubes
- Women with a hostile uterus and uterus septum
Intrauterine insemination vs. other treatments
Among all the options for assisted reproduction, intrauterine insemination it's a halfway point. Let's say it goes after taking medications and before an in vitro fertilization. Although this does not mean that some are better than others. The best treatment for a person is related to their specific characteristics and must be determined with the help of fertility specialists in a good assisted reproduction clinic.
Multiple pregnancies and other important factors in intrauterine insemination
Between 8% and 30% of intrauterine insemination pregnancies result in twins or triplets. And although it's very exciting that it's not one, but two or three, this implies a high-risk pregnancy. However, since not all insemination ends in pregnancy, the real possibility of a multiple pregnancy due to intrauterine insemination is between 0.5% and 2.5%.
It is also important to take into account that the woman's age and the medications that accompany this fertility treatment are factors that significantly influence the outcome. As in all cases, the most important thing is to have a good team specialized in in vitro fertilization nearby.
Artificial insemination is not artificial
When we talk about Artificial we mean that it was made by humans and not by nature. In an artificial insemination (of any kind!) science gives us the possibility of placing sperm at an exact point in the female reproductive system. However, this name can carry pejorative connotations. For us it is very important to understand and convey that artificial does not mean worse, bodies with difficulties in conceiving are no less valuable and pregnancies with the help of fertility treatments are also natural.
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