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Understanding IUI
Intrauterine insemination (IUI) places prepared sperm directly into the uterus around ovulation, when you are most fertile. Shortening the distance sperm must travel raises the chance that it will reach and fertilize an egg. Depending on your history and goals, your physician may suggest IUI as a less invasive option before or instead of IVF.
The IUI Process
Good timing is key to IUI success rates. Over the course of a menstrual cycle, your care team will track your ovulation using ultrasounds, at-home ovulation tests, and sometimes blood tests. Some patients also take hormonal medication during this time to support egg development. We’ll schedule your IUI based on these results, and you may be given a hormone injection to help time ovulation precisely.
Before your procedure, you and your physician will decide whether to use fresh or frozen sperm. The sample is then “washed,” a lab process that separates out the healthiest sperm for insemination.
Sperm preparation can take up to an hour, while the insemination itself takes roughly twenty minutes from start to finish and requires no sedation or anesthesia. A thin, flexible catheter holding the prepared sperm is guided through the vagina and cervix into the uterus. Once the sperm is released, the catheter is withdrawn and you’re free to go as soon as you feel ready. Mild cramping or discomfort during placement is possible, though most patients don’t find it painful. Light spotting for a day or two afterward is normal.
About two weeks after your IUI, you’ll return for a blood-based pregnancy test. If you get a positive result, we’ll schedule further blood work and ultrasounds. It can be discouraging when the first attempt doesn’t work, but it’s not uncommon for patients to need three or four IUI cycles before they conceive. If pregnancy hasn’t happened after 3-4 IUI cycles, we may meet to talk through other options. Our team will support you through every step.
Good timing is key to IUI success rates. Over the course of a menstrual cycle, your care team will track your ovulation using ultrasounds, at-home ovulation tests, and sometimes blood tests. Some patients also take hormonal medication during this time to support egg development. We’ll schedule your IUI based on these results, and you may be given a hormone injection to help time ovulation precisely.
Before your procedure, you and your physician will decide whether to use fresh or frozen sperm. The sample is then “washed,” a lab process that separates out the healthiest sperm for insemination.
Sperm preparation can take up to an hour, while the insemination itself takes roughly twenty minutes from start to finish and requires no sedation or anesthesia. A thin, flexible catheter holding the prepared sperm is guided through the vagina and cervix into the uterus. Once the sperm is released, the catheter is withdrawn and you’re free to go as soon as you feel ready. Mild cramping or discomfort during placement is possible, though most patients don’t find it painful. Light spotting for a day or two afterward is normal.
About two weeks after your IUI, you’ll return for a blood-based pregnancy test. If you get a positive result, we’ll schedule further blood work and ultrasounds. It can be discouraging when the first attempt doesn’t work, but it’s not uncommon for patients to need three or four IUI cycles before they conceive. If pregnancy hasn’t happened after 3-4 IUI cycles, we may meet to talk through other options. Our team will support you through every step.
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Who is IUI for?
IUI is an option for:
- Couples experiencing unexplained infertility, which is when you've been trying to conceive without success for six months or up to one year, depending on your age, and fertility testing hasn't led to a definitive cause.
- Single women using donor sperm who don’t have needs that require IVF.
- Lesbian couples and any person assigned female at birth who needs donor sperm and plans to carry the pregnancy.
- Mild male infertility issues - In this case placing the washed sperm can be more effective than natural conception alone.
- Those experiencing endometriosis, or ovulatory or cervical issues.
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Covering the Cost of IUI
Insurance coverage for fertility treatment differs from plan to plan, but you have options available to you. Our team will help you understand your benefits, estimate your out-of-pocket costs, and explore financing. At Sage Reproductive Center, costs are always transparent.
Ready to take the next step? We’ll be with you the whole way.
BOOK NOWIUI FAQs
IUI causes little or no pain for most patients. It feels like a pap smear, and mild cramping afterward is possible. Ask your physician whether an over-the-counter pain reliever such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen is right for you.
Risks with IUI are low. When it’s combined with ovulation-inducing pills such as letrozole or clomiphene, the chance of twins is a little higher than with natural conception or IVF with a single embryo transfer.
IUI is among the most budget-friendly fertility treatments. At Sage Reproductive Center, an IUI cycle typically costs between $1350 - $1500 plus medication if needed.
IUI causes little or no pain for most patients. It feels like a pap smear, and mild cramping afterward is possible. Ask your physician whether an over-the-counter pain reliever such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen is right for you.
Risks with IUI are low. When it’s combined with ovulation-inducing pills such as letrozole or clomiphene, the chance of twins is a little higher than with natural conception or IVF with a single embryo transfer.
IUI is among the most budget-friendly fertility treatments. At Sage Reproductive Center, an IUI cycle typically costs between $1350 - $1500 plus medication if needed.