Intracervical Insemination vs. Intrauterine Insemination
Friday, October 13, 2006
Carl M. Herbert, MD
For an intrauterine insemination (IUI), one would already be using washed sperm. Sperm washing is necessary when inserting sperm directly into the uterus because raw semen contains chemicals that cause it to contract. It also increases the probability of fertilization to place washed sperm directly into the uterus. This is because sperm washing sorts out lower quality and dead sperm, thus lowering the content of the sperm.
You could choose to buy washed sperm from a sperm bank for an intracervical insemination.
Although patients sometimes complain of cramping with IUI, it is usually short-lived. As background, IUI is the process of depositing washed sperm inside the uterine cavity. A thin catheter is used, connected to a syringe that contains the washed sperm. The catheter is introduced through the cervix and deep inside the uterus. Cramping sometimes does occur but is short-lived. Artificial insemination is commonly used with ovulation inducing medications when, for instance, there is abnormal cervical mucus.
However, due to the decreased sperm content, using washed sperm in ICI has not been shown to be effective enough to become commonly practiced. The choice is up to the patient and physician. If you have experience or questions using ICI or IUI, I’d love to hear from you.
4 Comments:
At Mon Oct 16, 08:07:00 AM 2006,
Anonymous said…
hi! My husband and I are married for 2 years. We were trying to ave kids but we failed and i can't figure out why. I had my check up and my OB said i'm normal and healthy.
My husband lost his one "egg" during his teenage. Would that be the reason to make my pregnancy impossible? Do men with only one egg will never be a father? Please help.
kyla
sardos_garden@yahoo.com.ph
At Mon Oct 16, 09:08:00 AM 2006,
Dr. Carl Herbert said…
By "egg" I assume you mean a testicle. In theory, the loss of one testicle does not make a man infertile. However, an easy and needed test is a semen analysis to see what your husband's current sperm count is. If the count is very low (less than 20 million per cc)or the motility is very low (less than 35%) he may have a problem. A simple check-up by your OB does not exclude some infertility problems which might affect you such as tubal damage or uterine abnormalities. If you have been trying to conceive for at least a year, you both should have a good infertility evaluation which will evaluate many factors and give you the best approach to solve any problems found.
At Mon Apr 09, 01:42:00 PM 2007,
Kate said…
hi my husband have one beautiful son, now 7, and have spent the last 5 years trying for another.
We have been told we are one of the "unexplained infertility" statistics that happen.
However after 3 miscarriages we have decided to seek help through "assisted" conception. It feels like a minefield.... Any advice?
At Tue Apr 10, 10:14:00 AM 2007,
Dr. Carl Herbert said…
Dear Kate,
You seem to be having more trouble "staying pregnant" than "getting pregnant" if you have had three miscarriages. Your diagnosis is not "unexplained infertility" but rather "recurrent miscarriages". It would be important to have completed a thorough evaluation for recurrent miscarriages before moving on to "assisted" conception. One of the common issues which arises in cases like yours is "egg factor". Although I don't know your case , I commonly have patients in their late thirties or early forties who have conceived easily in the past but are now having difficulty with repeat conception, reurrent miscarriages, and somewhat shorter menstrual cycles, all related to changes in the number and quality of eggs residual in the ovaries. For these patients it is important to evaluate the "ovarian reserve" with cycle day three FSH and estradiol, an ultrasound evaluation to provide an antral follicle count and perhaps a dynamic test of ovarian reserve such as a clomid challenge test. If there is an ovarian or egg problem, ART or assisted reproduction may be of some help but you should be given reasonable expectations based on the severity of the problem. There are other reasons for recurrent miscarriages and those possibilities should be looked for and eliminated as well. If all this work has already been completed, the assisted reproductive center where you will undergo treatment should provide you with enough information and support so you do not feel like you are entering a "minefield", but rather have a good understanding of why the proposed treatment may be helpful in your particular case. If such care is not being provided, you may want to consider selecting a different center.
Dr. Carl Herbert
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