Intrauterine Insemination (IUI)
This is the process by which sperm are placed into the woman’s womb. It is done by using a fine plastic tube which is passed through the neck of the womb (the cervix) into the womb (uterus). Sperm are passed through the tube. It is a relatively straightforward procedure. It can be timed to coincide with ovulation (about halfway through a monthly cycle) in women who are still ovulating. Fertility medicines may also be given beforehand, to maximize the chance of ovulation occurring. Women who have this procedure need to have healthy Fallopian tubes to allow the egg to travel from the ovary into the womb. If successful, fertilization takes place within the womb.
The sperm used can be either from the male partner, or from a donor:
- The male partner’s sperm can be used when the cause of the infertility is unexplained and the sperm seem fine, or for cases where the female cervical mucus seems to block or kill the sperm. Sperm is obtained by the male partner masturbating just prior to the IUI procedure.
- Donor sperm are obtained from a sperm bank of frozen sperm provided by donors. It may be considered as an option when: the male partner has no or very few sperm; has had a vasectomy (male sterilization), and reversal has failed or not been tried; has an infectious disease such as HIV; there is a high risk of transmitting a genetic disorder (a disease that is caused by an abnormality in either partner’s DNA) to a baby.