IUI (Intrauterine Insemination)

IUI is recommended to overcome mild to moderate Male Factor Infertility.  IUI may also be recommended in cases of unexplained infertility, inability to have intercourse, or simply as an effort to improve pregnancy rates before proceeding with IVF.

Donor sperm may be used for IUI in cases where the male partner cannot produce viable sperm, carries a potentially serious genetic condition, or for women pursuing treatment on their own.  Sperm banks screen, test, and cryopreserve sperm from many types of donors.

The first step in the IUI process is to prepare the sperm.  Fresh sperm must be washed in our lab.  Washing involves the removal of abnormal sperm and other debris in order to produce a concentrated sample of healthy, motile sperm.

Once the sperm sample is ready, it is loaded into a thin catheter, and the catheter is gently guided through the cervix and into the uterine cavity.  The sperm is then flushed into the uterus and the catheter is withdrawn.  Undergoing IUI does not involve anesthesia and is usually painless or minimally uncomfortable.