Intrauterine Inseminations (IUI’s) is a simple procedure which is frequently done with ovulation induction. This procedure increases the number of sperm which are available to fertilize an egg by bypassing the uterine cervix and depositing motile sperm inside the uterus.
The male partner produces a sample, at home or at the office. If the specimen is produced at home, it must be kept at body temperature, and be at the andrology lab at the office within an hour. There is a separate and private collection room for men to produce a specimen. The ejaculate is washed, concentrated and suspended in a very small amount of a special fluid. This is then put into a small catheter, connected to a small syringe. The woman has a speculum placed in an exam room, and the IUI catheter is passed through the cervix into the uterus. Once the catheter is in place, the specimen is slowly injected into the uterus. The procedure is quick, less than one minute and painless. We ask that the woman stays lying down for about 15-20 minutes. Depending on the circumstance, one or two IUI’s is performed in a cycle, most typically one. The IUI is time by monitoring the cycle with ultrasound and “triggering” ovulation with an injection. This injection, HCG, is the equivalent to LH, the hormone which the body makes to cause ovulation. Ovulation Predictor Kits (OPK’s) monitor the LH surge. IUI’s can also be performed on a natural cycle, by the woman checking for her LH surge at home with OPK’s
