Intrauterine insemination, using husband's or donor's sperm, when timed properly with ovulation can significantly increase the chance of pregnancy. It is most commonly used in couples who are being treated for ovulatory dysfunction, sperm antibodies, unexplained infertility or a mild male factor problem. IUI is not appropriate for severe male factor problems or if the woman's fallopian tubes are blocked.

With IUI, a very small flexible catheter is passed through the endocervical canal into the uterus. A concentration of motile, capacitated sperm is deposited directly into the uterus. The sperm then travel to the fallopian tubes where fertilization normally occurs. This is usually a painless experience, similar in sensation as a PAP test. It is done in the examination rooms, takes just a few minutes to perform, and there are no restrictions on the woman's activities after the procedure.

The semen specimen for IUI must undergo a "washing" procedure to remove the seminal fluid, bacteria, white blood cells if there are any, while concentrating the highly motile sperm into a low volume of media for insemination. The washing procedure is performed in our laboratory and it takes approximately 30 minutes to do.

We prefer to see a minimum of one million motile sperm after the washing procedure to proceed with the insemination. Our peak pregnancy rates occur, however, when we have 3 million motile sperm or more.