Artificial insemination is a treatment for infertility that involves directly inserting sperm into a woman’s womb.

When is artificial insemination used?

Artificial insemination can be useful in helping couples to conceive in any of the following situations:

1. there is a problem with the man’s sperm, or he cannot produce sperm during sexual intercourse
2. there is no obvious reason why the couple can not conceive a child (unexplained infertility)
3. the woman has minimal to mild endometriosis

Endometriosis is a condition where cells that are usually only found in the lining of the uterus (womb) begin to grow in other parts of the reproductive system, which can be a cause of infertility. Women in same-sex partnerships have also used artificial insemination as a way of conceiving a child.

Intrauterine insemination (IUI)

Different techniques can be used to carry out artificial insemination. Intrauterine insemination (IUI) is the most widely used technique and has a good success record. In IUI, a man will provide a sample of sperm which is then “washed” and filtered using special techniques. This ensures that only the most potent, high-quality sperm is used for the procedure. During the procedure, the concentrated sperm is passed directly into the woman’s womb (uterus) through a tube called a catheter.

Sperm donation

In some circumstances, the man may not be able to produce any healthy sperm. If this is the case, frozen sperm, obtained from a donor, can be used. Some couples have chosen to obtain donated sperm from somebody they know, a relative or a friend. In the majority of cases, sperm is taken from an anonymous donation.

Why artificial insemination is necessary

Artificial insemination can be a useful treatment for couples who are capable of producing healthy eggs and sperm but, due to pre-existing health conditions, are unable to conceive a child through sexual intercourse. Donor sperm can also be used in cases where a man is unable to produce any healthy sperm, or when a woman wishes to raise a child by herself, or as part of a same-sex relationship. Health conditions that often cause people to choose artificial insemination are detailed below.

Men

If a man has a low sperm count, or erectile dysfunction (impotence), artificial insemination may be recommended.

Low sperm count

For reasons that are often unclear, some men are unable to produce sperm of a high enough quality to result in pregnancy.

Erectile dysfunction

Erectile dysfunction, or impotence is a condition where a man is unable to obtain (or maintain) an erection during sex. It is often caused by both physical and psychological factors.

Storing sperm

A number of medical treatments carry a risk of causing infertility in men. Treatments that can cause male infertility include chemotherapy, radiotherapy and orchidectomy An orchidectomy is a surgical procedure that is sometimes used to treat testicular cancer and involves removing one or both testicles. If you are due to have one of the above treatments, and are still interested in having a child, you have the option of freezing a sample of your sperm so that it can be used at a later date.

Women

Cervical factor infertility

Artificial insemination, in particular, intrauterine insemination (IUI), is widely used to treat cervical factor infertility. The cervix forms the neck of the womb, and sits in between the vagina and the womb itself. Usually, the cervix contains mucus (a liquid that is produced by the body’s tissue) that is specifically designed to help move any sperm from the vagina into the womb.

In cases of cervical factor infertility, the mucus is too thin to move the sperm into the womb. Also, the cervical mucus sometimes contains substances that can kill the sperm. IUI is an ideal treatment for cervical factory infertility because it can be used to place sperm directly into the womb, bypassing the cervix in the process.

Endometriosis

Endometriosis is a condition where the special cells that usually only grow on the lining of the womb begin to grow in other parts of the reproductive system, such as the fallopian tubes or ovaries. The condition causes symptoms of heavy, and sometimes painful, periods and, in a minority of women, can result in infertility. IUI is often used to treat women who have minimum to mild endometriosis and are having problems conceiving a child. The severity of endometriosis is assessed by measuring the amount of uterine tissue that is growing outside of the uterus. In cases of minimal to mild endometriosis, only small patches of tissue are present outside the uterus. However, IUI is not recommended for women who have more serious symptoms of endometriosis. This is because serious cases of endometriosis can result in scarring of the uterus, which means that IUI is unlikely to be successful.

Unexplained fertility

IUI can sometimes be an effective treatment for couples who are unable to conceive a child, but where there is no obvious medical reason why this is the case. Research has shown that IUI is as effective as in-vitro fertilisation (IVF). IVF is a technique where an egg is surgically removed from the ovaries and is fertilised outside of the body. As well being effective at treating unexplained fertility, IUI is also considerably less expensive than IVF.

When should artificial insemination be done 

To maximise the chances of success, a cycle of intrauterine insemination (IUI) should be performed when a woman is at her most fertile. This is usually just after you ovulate; ovulation is when one or more eggs are released from your ovaries into the fallopian tube for fertilisation. For most women, ovulation takes place 12-15 days after the first day of your monthly period. You may be given an ovulation prediction kit (OPK) so you can determine your date of ovulation with greater accuracy. OPKs are a simple testing device that can detect the hormones in your urine or your saliva that are released during ovulation.

Related Articles:

1. Can a woman get preg­nant without pen­et­ra­tion?
2. Can I get preg­nant just after my period has fin­ished?
3. What makes a woman prone to recur­rent preg­nancy mis­car­riage?
4. How does a woman know her peri­ods are heavy?
5. Infre­quent and/or heavy period or ‘men­stru­ation’
6. Les­sons on HIV and AIDS: The unborn baby
7. Dia­betes and preg­nancy
8. Pre-eclampsia
9. Com­plic­a­tions of fibroids

You have permission to reprint what you just read. The only requirement is including the following footer with it… ”Article by allvitalpoints.com, visit http://www.allvitalpoints.com for more original content like this. Reprint permission granted with this footer included.”

Related posts:

1. Complications Of Fibroids
2. Infertility: Problems in female contraception
3. Treatment For Fibroids
4. Causes Of Miscarriage In Pregnancy
5. Treatment For Miscarriage In Pregnancy
6. What makes a woman prone to recurrent pregnancy miscarriage?
7. Infertility
8. When is the right time to do a pregnancy test?