Intrauterine Insemination, or IUI, is a common treatment if you have problems with ovulation, when it’s used in conjunction with fertility drugs to boost the number of eggs you produce. It’s also a treatment carried out with donor sperm for women who wish to have a baby on their own, or are in a female same-sex relationship and require donor sperm insemination.
IUI involves inserting your partner’s sperm, or a donor’s, directly into your uterus to encourage fertilisation of the egg. Treatment is timed for when you are ovulating. If you are using fertility drugs, we will know through various blood tests and scans when that happens. If you are undergoing natural cycle IUI, insemination is timed for when you ovulate naturally.
IUI isn’t a suitable treatment if there are issues with your partner’s sperm, or if you have problems with your fallopian tubes. For IUI to be successful, your tubes must have no blockages and the sperm used must be healthy. We will discuss the most appropriate treatment for you, based on the results of the initial tests we carry out.
On the day of insemination, you’ll come into the clinic and your partner’s or chosen donor’s sperm will be prepared for use. It’s then inserted into your uterus via a very fine catheter, in a procedure that is simple and quick. You can then go home once we’ve ensured that all is well.
Around two weeks later, you can take a home pregnancy test to see if your IUI treatment has worked, so if you’re researching IUI you could be only weeks away from being pregnant if your treatment is successful. At Manchester Fertility, we have good success rates for IUI treatment. Find out whether this is appropriate treatment for you by contacting us.
Last updated: 20th January 2020
