Intrauterine Insemination
IUI is a procedure which involves placing sperms directly inside a woman’s uterus using a small plastic catheter. It aims to increase the number of sperm that reaches the fallopian time to fertilize the egg.
1. Which couples would be suitable for IUI treatment?
- Female partner has one or both tubes patent i.e not blocked.
- Male partner has slightly low sperm count or motility.
- Sexual dysfunction
- Unexplained infertility
2. What are the steps involved in an IUI?
- Natural or stimulated cycle of IUI. In the natural cycle, there is no medication given to the female partner whereas in a stimulated cycle, medications such as clomid or gonadotrophin will be given to stimulate the ovaries to produce more eggs usually starting from Day 1 or Day 2 of menses.
- Ultrasound will be used to monitor the development of the growing follicles. Once it reaches approximately 18mm, the hormone human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) will be given to stimulate the release of the eggs from the follicles within 34 – 36 hours.
- You will be then asked to come to the clinic for the IUI procedure. The male partner will need to give a semen sample which will be processed.
- The semen will be directly placed inside a woman’s uterus using a small plastic catheter.
3. What is the success rate of IUI in achieving pregnancy?
The overall success rate for IUI is about 10 – 15% but it could reach up to 50% after several attempts of IUI in one year.
4. What are the potential risks associated with IUI?
Generally, the IUI process has minimal side effects unless too many follicles developed due to hyperstimulation of the ovaries known as ovarian hyperstimulation styndrome (OHSS).
5. What is the cost of an IUI?
Depending on the different clinics or units, it costs about RM$500 – $2000 per cycle.
6. How many cycles of IUI could I do?
This depends on several factors. However, you could do up to 3 – 6 cycles of IUI.
