Usually the sample is collected through ejaculation into a sterile collection cup, but it is also possible to obtain collection condoms for this purpose (through the doctor's office -- Milex is one company that makes them). Most clinics want the semen to be delivered within a half hour of ejaculation, around the time of liquefaction, so if one lives close enough the sample can be collected at home. If not, one has to make do with a room at the clinic, a bathroom, or any private setting.

This depends on your individual situation, but it should be less than 72 hours since his last ejaculation in order to ensure the best motility and morphology. Where low sperm count is the reason for IUI, it is generally best to wait 48 hours between ejaculation and collecting sperm for the IUI. With no sperm count issues, it makes sense to wait about 24 hours.

Normal, healthy sperm live approximately 48-72 hours. (Abnormal sperm may have a shorter life, which may vary according to sperm health.) We do know that washed sperm can survive in the IVF incubator for up to 72 hours. That would be considered the upper practical limit.

The catheter loosens cervical mucus and lets it come out more easily. It is common to see more fertile mucus after an IUI for this reason.

IUI can help on Clomid cycles where cervical mucus is a problem, and IUI increases the chance of success on injectible cycles no matter what the sperm count. It does make sense to try IUI if you can and haven't had success with intercourse.

Besides the number of sperm, the percentage with rapid forward-progressive motility and with normal morphology at the time of insemination are important to know. If this functional sperm count exceeds 1 million, chances for pregnancy with well-timed IUI are excellent. A lead follicle should be at least 16-17 mm when the patient is on urinary gonadotropins for ovulation induction, it should beat least 18 mm on a recombinant FSH , and should be about 22 mm on Clomiphene citrate therapy.

A count above one million washed appears necessary for success, with a significant reduction in pregnancy rates when the inseminated is count is lower than 5-10 million (in other words, in most cases one should consider 5 million a lower limit for success, 10 million for cost-effective). Higher success rates are with washed counts over 20-30 million, while increasing counts over 50 million did not appear to offer advantage.

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.

Washed sperm is supposed to only live for 6-12 hours, but sometimes as long as 24 -- not nearly as long as sperm can live in fertile cervical mucus (sperm can live up to 5 days in fertile mucus, 2-3 days being pretty common). This is why timing is so important.

Implantation generally takes place 6-12 days after ovulation - so 6-12 days after a well-timed IUI. See abstract.