How does intrauterine insemination work

Single women or lesbian couples who want to have a baby may also consider DI. The sperm needed for IUI can be collected in several ways. Sperm can also be collected during sex in a special condom that the doctor provides. If a man has retrograde ejaculation, the sperm can be retrieved in the laboratory from urine he has collected. Men who have a difficult time with erection or ejaculation despite using medications, as well as men with a spinal cord injury, may be able to produce a sperm sample with the help of vibratory stimulation or electroejaculation.

Vibratory stimulation commonly takes place in an office and uses a handheld vibratory device. Electroejaculation uses electrical stimulation in order to produce a sperm specimen. For men with a complete spinal cord injury, electroejaculation is commonly performed in the office, while patients with an incomplete spinal cord injury may have an electroejaculation procedure performed under anesthesia in the operating room.

This process can take up to 2 hours to complete. IUI is performed near the time that the woman is ovulating. The IUI procedure is relatively simple and only takes a few minutes once the semen sample is ready.

Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission. This content does not have an English version. This content does not have an Arabic version. Overview Intrauterine insemination IUI — a type of artificial insemination — is a procedure for treating infertility. Request an Appointment at Mayo Clinic. Transvaginal ultrasound Open pop-up dialog box Close.

Transvaginal ultrasound During a transvaginal ultrasound, your doctor or a medical technician inserts a wandlike device transducer into your vagina while you are positioned on an exam table.

Share on: Facebook Twitter. Show references Infertility FAQs. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Accessed May 7, Treating infertility. The final prepared sample is used for insemination where it is gently inserted into the uterine cavity using a speculum and a small catheter. You should be able to return to work straight away.

If you or your partner has been diagnosed with unexplained infertility, hostile cervical mucus, minor sperm abnormalities or other male disorders, IUI is sometimes a successful option. It can also be used when semen has been frozen due to a husband's absence or before chemotherapy or radiotherapy.

Artificial insemination is also used when couples need to use a sperm donor. Donor sperm may be recommended when the male partner has problems with sperm quality or production, including when the sperm is of very poor quality, or if there is a high risk of passing on a genetic disease.

Artificial insemination using a sperm donor is also an option for single women or same sex couples. IUI is also available from some private fertility clinics. Before IUI is done, you and your partner's fertility will need to be assessed to find out why you are having difficulty conceiving and to see whether IUI is suitable for you. For a woman to have IUI, her fallopian tubes the tubes connecting the ovaries to the womb must be open and healthy.

This is because there is some evidence to suggest that IUI will not increase your chances of getting pregnant in these circumstances, compared with trying to get pregnant naturally. To increase your chances of success, a cycle of IUI should be done just after ovulation. Ovulation usually happens 12 to 16 days before your next period. This can vary if you have an irregular menstrual cycle. You may be given an ovulation prediction kit OPK to help you work out the date of ovulation.

An OPK device detects hormones released during ovulation in urine or saliva. Sometimes, fertility medicines are used to stimulate ovulation before IUI. In this case, vaginal ultrasound scans are used to track the development of your eggs.