Knowing more about success rate and risks in IUI treatment

Manoj R Nawal
3 min readOct 23, 2021

--

If you think whether Intrauterine insemination is right for you or not, then you have landed on the right page. Before selecting any infertility treatment, you should do some research to find out more about the treatment to determine its success rates and the risks involved.

What is IUI treatment?

IUI or Intrauterine insemination is an artificial insemination process where sperms are separated from the seminal fluid and washed to get injected directly into the uterus. Thus, bypassing the vagina and cervix of a woman. The treatment is less invasive and less expensive, making it the number one choice for infertile or sub-fertile couples. IUI procedure is ideal for couples having unexplained infertility, low sperm motility, endometriosis, etc.

The procedure is usually carried out in the fertility clinic, and it only takes a few minutes to complete the IUI procedure. For most women, the procedure is completely painless and doesn’t need any anesthesia.

IUI treatment is ideal for which conditions?

Couples go for IUI treatment when they cannot get pregnant naturally or when the hormonal medications have not produced a favorable outcome. IUI procedure is not ideal for women having severely blocked fallopian tubes. IUI is used to overcome infertility caused by the following reasons:

  1. Issues with sexual intercourse — Women with vaginismus cannot engage in frequent intercourse, so the IUI procedure is the best for them.
  2. Problem with ovulation — IUI is best suited for women having irregular or absent ovulation, which is mainly caused due to hormonal imbalance.
  3. Cervical mucus hostility — Some women may have anti-sperm antibodies in their cervical mucus, making conception impossible. IUI can help them as the procedure bypasses the vagina and cervix.
  4. Mild endometriosis — Endometriosis is a condition when the tissue that normally is found inside the uterus starts to grow in other places of the body, like on ovaries or fallopian tubes.
  5. Sperm count- Men having low sperm count can benefit from the IUI procedure.
  6. Problem with ejaculation — IUI procedure is also suitable for men having a problem with ejaculation like paraplegia or impotence.
  7. Retrograde ejaculation — Retrograde ejaculation is a condition where the semen goes backward in the bladder rather than the penis. IUI is suitable in this condition too.

Risks of IUI treatment

IUI offers limited risks. However, the medications used in the process may result in multiple pregnancies due to ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome. The risk of multiples increases in IUI pregnancy as the fertility medications increase the number of follicles. Before the procedure, your doctor may check the number of maturing follicles using ultrasound. If she finds more than three maturing follicles, she may cancel IUI for that cycle.

The success rate of IUI treatment

The success rate of the treatment may depend on the type of clinic and the doctors’ qualifications. Pick the best fertility clinic in Chennai to get a favorable outcome. As IUI transfers a large number of best sperms directly into a woman’s uterus, there is a high chance of getting pregnant. Usually, a healthy woman under age 35 can expect a pregnancy rate of 9%-15%. However, it depends on other factors, including egg quality and partner’s sperm count.

Starting IUI can be exciting for couples struggling to conceive; however, keeping all the aspects in mind and discussing the right options with your doctor is something you shouldn’t miss.

--

--