IUI, or intrauterine insemination, is a type of fertility treatment. The IUI procedure carries the sperm right up to the egg to encourage fertilization.

IUI is an alternative to in vitro fertilization (IVF). IUI might be done as opposed to IVF because it is less expensive and less invasive, but it assumes the egg does not need intervention to become fertilized.

Who uses IUI?

• Someone who is having trouble conceiving naturally (fertility issue)

• Someone who wants to get pregnant without a male partner (donor sperm)

• Someone who finds vaginal intercourse difficult (physical disability/psychosexual complication)

• Someone who has a disease or disorder that makes getting pregnant more complicated

How Does IUI Work?

With IUI, the egg is fertilized naturally in the body, as happens when you get pregnant from having sex! However, unlike with sex (where the sperm reaches the egg through penis penetration and ejaculation), with IUI the sperm is medically inserted all the way into the uterus, so it lands as close to the unfertilized egg as possible.

This procedure is performed during the ovulation window. In other words, instead of depending on the semen to get to the right place at the right time through sex, a catheter brings the sperm directly to the most optimal spot at the most optimal time.

From there, nature hopefully takes its course and a sperm fertilizes the egg to become an embryo!

IUI for Male Infertility or Sperm Donation

If you’re interested in IUI because your partner has a fertility issue (e.g. ejaculation disorder, low sperm count, etc.), here’s what your IUI process would look like:

Your partner’s sperm cells would first be collected—the same day—in a lab and prepared by washing the semen and using only the fastest sperm cells in the sample. If you are using donor sperm, they would first be thawed from frozen and then prepared the same way as fresh sperm. The sample is then inserted into your uterus using a catheter.

If you think IUI is an option for you, talk to your doctor. It is a very low risk procedure, and the success rate can be as high as 80% with 3 to 6 rounds of IUI.