The use of medication to trigger the development and release of an egg or eggs from the follicles in the ovaries is called ovulation induction.
Fertility medications allow women to safely produce multiple eggs during a single cycle. Production of more than one egg increases the chance for a successful cycle by increasing the odds of healthy fertilization and implantation. These medications are usually used in conjunction with other treatments such as intrauterine insemination (IUI).
Intrauterine Insemination (IUI) is a procedure in which sperm that has been washed and prepared is inserted into the woman’s uterus through a catheter. This procedure allows the sperm to pass directly into the fallopian tubes where fertilization normally occurs.
Performed at the time of ovulation, IUI increases the likelihood of fertilization and pregnancy. Vaginal ultrasound and/or a urine ovulation detection kit are used to ensure that the procedure is conducted at the right time. IUI is recommended for patients who have been diagnosed with:
- Abnormal or inhospitable cervical mucus
- Unexplained infertility
- Male factor infertility
TECHNIQUE OF IUI
- IUI appointments are scheduled in advance but 21st Century IVF Centre is flexible with scheduling as a patient’s day of ovulation may be different than predicted. In general, an IUI is performed once or twice in a treatment cycle. Each IUI visit lasts about an hour (which includes waiting time) as sperm preparation may take 45 minutes or more.
- The male partner can produce the semen sample on site or it can be produced at home as long as it can be delivered to the 21st Century IVF andrology laboratory within an hour after it is produced. During transport the sample must be kept at body temperature.
- Upon arrival, the specimen will be analyzed and then prepared. This will take approximately 45 minutes.
- A speculum is inserted and a small plastic catheter (tube) is introduced through the cervix into the uterus. The sperm is then injected into the uterine cavity. This process takes only minutes and the patient may leave immediately after the procedure.