Intrauterine Insemination
Intrauterine insemination (IUI) involves placing sperm inside a woman’s uterus to encourage natural fertilisation.
Is IUI suitable for me?
This form of fertility treatment is a less invasive and less expensive option in comparison to in vitro fertilisation.
It is generally suitable for:
- Couples with unexplained infertility
- Couples with a mild male factor infertility – such as low sperm count or motility
- Ejaculation dysfunction
- Women or couples who are using donor sperm
- Lesbian couples or single women using donor sperm who have no history of infertility
What is the process?
An IUI cycle is less invasive than an IVF cycle.
Success rates
IUI is a more natural form of treatment and success rates are lower – generally around a third of IVF success rates.
According to the HFEA, the success rates per individual cycle vary as follows:
- 16% for women under 35;
- 11% for women aged 35 to 39; and
- 5% for women aged 40 to 42.
It is important to understand the impact of cumulative success rates – i.e. the chance of having a baby over multiple cycles.
Overall, over half of women having IUI become pregnant over the first six cycles.
