How is Artificial Insemination (IUI) Performed

It is a treatment option for specific conditions. The cost of this treatment option is low. Although the success rates of intrauterine insemination (IUI) are not as high as those achieved with the in vitro fertilization (IVF) method, it can be performed before IVF in some specified patients.
To achieve treatment success with IUI; the patients' tubes should be open, there should be no intrauterine polyps, fibroids, membranes, etc. that may prevent implantation, the spermiogram results should be normal, and the ovarian reserve should be appropriate.
On the third day of the menstruation, an ultrasound examination is performed. Then, appropriate dose of medications is started, aiming to grow 1 to 2 eggs. The average length of treatment is 10 days. In the first 8 days of this treatment period, the woman will take medications to grow the eggs. The growth of the egg cells is monitored at regular intervals until they reach an average diameter of 20-22 mm. At this stage, an injection is made to make the egg cells mature and crack. After 36 hours following the injection, male sperms are purified and released directly into the uterus of the woman with specially designed thin and soft cannulae. This way, both the growth and cracking of the egg is ensured, increasing the likelihood of of the sperm to reach the mature and cracked egg cell in the uterine tube.
This treatment method is advantageous because it is painless, inexpensive, and the procedure can be performed in a short time.
Treatment success depends on the type of the sperm purification technique. The use of microchip method for sperm sorting results in a 25% rate of achieving pregnancy in artificial insemination. The success rate of artificial insemination is 20% when the buoyant or gradient separation method is used for sorting sperms.