IUI is the use of husband or donor sperm to inseminate the uterus. The semen sample is washed, prepared and then placed into the uterus by passing a small plastic catheter through the cervix. This is an office procedure and is usually associated with no discomfort. The procedure places a large concentration of sperm into the upper uterus so the sperm are closer to the fallopian tubes where they can travel to fertilize an egg.

IUI helps deliver much more motile sperm to the fallopian tubes at the critical times around ovulation, and is recommended to improve pregnancy rates in many instances, including: unexplained infertility; sperm issues (such as count, motility or morphology); when fertility medications (including Clomid or injectable medications) are being used; or when a cervical mucous abnormality blocks the ability of the sperm to swim in to the uterus.

The core of this method consists of facilitating the way of a sperm to the egg by injecting sperm, after special laboratory preparation, by means of a thin tube into the uterine cavity during the period of ovulation. The basic prerequisite for the application of this method is the preserved permeability of the Fallopian tubes. IUI can have a therapeutic effect in cases of disorders in male fertility, immunologically conditioned infertility and also in other indications.

Generally, an intrauterine insemination cycle starts with taking a medication to stimulate the ovaries. There are also ultrasounds to follow the development of the treatment and plan the date of insemination. Ovulation is initiated by medication and the insemination takes place 36 hours later. The day of the insemination, we perform an injection of the sperm, which has been washed to obtain the best quality sperm, into the uterus of the patient.

The first step would be to have a vasovasectomy to return fertility. If this intervention is successful, fertilisation can take place naturally or by insemination. If the reversal can not be performed, we can proceed with collecting sperm directly from the epidydimis or testicle with an aspiration technique. (PESA - TESA). However, the quantity recovered in this manner in not sufficient for intrauterine insemination, and only IVF is possible.

An intrauterine insemination consists of collecting a sample of sperm (or using the sperm of a donor) in order to inject the sperm directly into the uterus of the patient at the moment of ovulation. The fertilisation takes place in vivo, that’s to say in the body of the woman and not in the laboratory.

You will need to firstly undergo a reanastomosis, a surgery which can be performed in some cases, depending on which method was used to tie your tubes. This procedure is carried out in the hospital setting and is performed in certain hospitals only. Once this step is completed, pregnancy may be possible with natural methods or by insemination, depending on the results obtained.

IUI or intra uterine insemination is an in-office procedure that is used to treat a variety of fertility conditions that may include cervical mucus problems, diminished sperm motility and ovulation dysfunction. The procedure involves ovulation monitoring either by ultrasound examination or ovulation predictor kits, sperm washing and insemination.

A: An IUI -- intrauterine insemination -- is when a very thin flexible catheter is threaded through the cervix and washed sperm is injected into the uterus. The whole process doesn't take very long - it usually only requires the insertion of a speculum and then the catheter, a process that maybe takes a couple of minutes. Sometimes when the cervix is hard to reach a tenaculum is also used and makes the process a bit more uncomfortable.

Artificial insemination is now more commonly referred to as,IUI, Intrauterine insemination. It is a procedure used for couples with unexplained infertility, minimal male factor infertility, and women with cervical mucus problems. It is a procedure of using the husband's or donor sperm, washing and treating the sperm and injecting it into the woman during the time of ovulation. IUI

An IUI shouldn't be done at home because the sperm needs to be washed to prevent infection -- i.e., separated from the semen. A vaginal insemination can be done at home, but is no more successful than intercourse. Some doctors are willing to instruct on doing ICI (intracervical insemination) at home, but it should not be attempted without being taught proper technique. Getting semen or air into the uterus could be quite dangerous -- perhaps life-threatening.

Artificial Insemination is allowed to be used as a breeding tool for animals that will be included in the Randall herdbook. The Registry encourages the use of live bulls to the extent possible as a means of increasing the number of sires used and thereby protecting the diversity of the gene pool. However AI can accomplish specific breeding objectives and may be the only option for breeders who are unable to keep a bull.

The number of straws required per insemination is determined by thawing a straw and rating its post thaw motility. For a frozen semen breeding you want to have a minimum of 100 million motile sperm per insemination. Each straw holds 50 million sperm but not all of them will survive the freezing process, hence the evaluation of "post thaw motility". The higher the percent post thaw motility the fewer straws are required.

Ideally an IUI should be performed within 6 hours either side of ovulation -- for male factor infertility some doctors believe after ovulation is better, otherwise chances of success are higher with insemination before ovulation with the sperm waiting for the egg. When timing is based on an hCG injection, the IUIs are usually done between 24 and 48 hours later.

Searching through about a dozen medical journal articles and a number of web sites resulted in a rather wide range of statistics. Basically the odds of success are reported to be just under 6% and as high as 26% per cycle. The low statistics are with one follicle, while multiple follicles resulted in as high 26% success. Another influencing factor is sperm count.

Since the vagina doesn't open unless something pushes it, it is OK to swim shortly after your IUI...but because of how much one has invested in getting pregnant, it probably makes sense to wait 48 hours after your IUIs to go swimming.