What is IUI Treatment?

IUI is a long process in which a lot of steps are present before as well as after the actual process:

Step 1: Counselling Stage – First, the doctor and patient have an interaction where the doctor explains the whole treatment and their usefulness in their case. Discussion for addressing all concerns is an integral part of this process. Counseling about the emotional and physical aspects of the journey before IUI treatment. Fertility treatments can be an overwhelming process for many aspiring parents; therefore, with counselors, nutritionists, and fertility specialists, we are with you throughout your IUI journey.

Step 2: Ovarian stimulation and Monitoring – It starts after the cycle of the mother-to-be has been established. Ovarian stimulation starts on the second day of the female partner’s menstrual cycle. To stimulate the ovaries to produce eggs, the fertility specialist can give oral or injectible medications to stimulate ovulation. These hormones can be FSH LH, clomiphene citrate, and so on. one can take the injections in the hospital or at home.

Step 3: Monitoring of Ovary- The ovary will be regularly monitored for maturing follicles to plan for the day of IUI. This monitoring can be done through ultrasound scans and checking the level of hormones. The monitoring can help give the best results.

Step 4: Trigger for Ovulation – Once the ovarian follicles have matured, the doctors give the HCG hormone injection to trigger ovulation. The ovary takes 24-36 hours to release the matured eggs. The release of eggs from the ovary is called ovulation.

Step 5: Sperm harvesting – Once ovulation starts, we collect the sperm. Sperm collection can be at the facility, or when we use frozen sperm, we do defrosting. The sperms receive a wash, and impurities from the sample also wash off.

Step 6: Deposition of sperm in the uterus– After the sperm sample is ready to be inserted, a thin, flexible catheter implants the sperm into the female partner’s uterus. It is usually a pain-free process and may only cause mild discomfort. Once the female ovulates and the sperm receives treatment, the doctor uses a thin, flexible catheter to implant the sperm into the female partner’s uterus. Unlike IVF, IUI does not involve any painful steps. However, the insertion of the catheter may cause the female to feel slight cramps and discomfort.

Step 7: Pregnancy test – This is the final step in fertility treatment. It can be done with the help of a blood test and also a urine pregnancy test. Once fertilizes the egg, the embryo implants in the uterus lining. A hormone called HCG starts to rise in the blood. The rise in HCG can be detected on the urine pregnancy test 2 weeks and even sooner on the blood b- HCG test. Through this step, we check the success of the procedure. If the urine pregnancy test comes positive, monitoring of pregnancy and drugs and scans are essential to sustain the pregnancy continues. We repeat the fertility treatment or try a new technique if the test is negative.

IUI is an abbreviation for Intrauterine Insemination, a type of artificial insemination. In this method, doctors transfer healthy motile sperm from the husband or the donor into the female genital tract. Therefore, it is helpful in patients for whom the deposition of sperm into the genital tract is the problem. It is carried out with healthy motile sperm and during ovulation. The timing of IUI ovulation increases the chances of conception in the same cycle.

IUI has a success rate of almost 80% with 3 to 6 cycles of treatment in suitable couples.