Artificial Insemination - All You Need to Know
Summary
Artificial insemination refers to the process of delivering the sperm into the cervix/uterus of a woman without having actual sex. There are mainly two ways of delivering the sperm and in one of the procedures, the sperm is ‘washed’ and delivered into the uterus to achieve better success rates.
- IUI – IntraUterine Insemination
- ICI – IntraCervical Insemination
If the woman is not able to ovulate naturally, medications may be provided to stimulate ovarian follicle growth and release of egg(s).
When does your gynecologist suggest Artificial Insemination?
In normal natural impregnation process, once the sperm enters the vagina of a woman, it travels through the cervix, into the uterus. If the sperms find an egg in the uterus, they try to fertilize the egg and then the fertilized egg sticks to the endometrial layer (inner lining of the uterus) and starts growing from there. Artificial Insemination will be required for a woman/couple in the following circumstances:
- When the man’s sperm count is low and not enough to cause pregnancy
- If the sperms are not able to swim through the vaginal canal due to motility issues
- If the sperms are not well formed (deformed sperms) and unable to fertilize the egg
- If the man has genital defects and doesn’t want to have his own child
- If the cervix of the woman doesn’t allow the sperms to pass through (due to inflammation or variation in the mucus of cervix etc)
- If the woman is above 35 years of age and is not able to conceive since 6 months.
- If the woman is less than 35 years of age and is unable to conceive since 12 months.
ICI – IntraCervical Insemination
As the name suggests, this is the process of inserting semen into the cervix of the woman. Cervix is the passage between the vagina and uterus. This can be done at home or at doctor’s clinic. Dr. Karthik Gunasekaran at Metromale Clinic & Fertility Center highly recommends getting ICI done at your doctor’s clinic in order to reduce the number of attempts and also the chances of infection. The process of ICI involves the following steps:
- The woman monitors her ovulation cycle through temperature reading, ultrasound scans or by using a calendar or by a combination of any of these methods.
- The doctor will insert the donated sperm or the sperm of her partner into the cervix using a syringe. In another method, sperm is put in a cervical cap that is placed in the cervix region for some time and then removed.
- The woman has to remain laid on her back for about half hour before she is allowed to get up and walk. This gives the sperms time to swim through the cervix, to the uterus and reach the egg.
- The woman can undergo a pregnancy test after two after the procedure.
IUI – IntraUterine Insemination
IUI is performed if the sperms are not able to swim beyond cervix of the woman. In this case, the sperms are ‘washed’ to remove the proteins that may be affecting the fertilization process and then inserted into the uterus of the woman.
Washing the sperms also increases the concentration of sperms by 20 times which increases the chances of conceiving tremendously. Your gynecologist or sexologist uses a speculum to deliver the sperms into the uterus.
Side effects of Artificial Insemination
- The woman may experience cramps or light spotting after the procedure. This should subside quickly.
- Possibility of infection does exist though it is minimal when performed by an experienced doctor at a good clinic. If the procedure is not done with utmost care, this can result in inflammation and pelvic infection.
- If the woman is under fertility medication that helps in release of eggs, this may result in giving birth to twins or triplets when more than one egg is released.
Success rates of Artificial Insemination
Success rates of Artificial Insemination depends on some factors including:
- Age of the woman
- What fertility medications are used
- Fertility issues the woman is facing.
Success rates of ICI are around 38% after 6 cycles/attempts and that of IUI are 40.5% after 6 attempts. It may be obvious that when the sperm is delivered into the uterus, the chances of fertilization of egg increase.
Cost of Artificial Insemination
The cost of Artificial Insemination varies from clinic to clinic, not only in Chennai but anywhere in the world. A cheaper clinic that offers unlimited attempts may not be an ideal one always, you got to do your research before you pick the best gynecologist for your procedures.
Home kits are available for Artificial Insemination but that has to be performed by an experienced mid-wife who is knowledgeable. The chances of infection when self administration are higher. It is better to see a gynecologist for all your needs, after all, that’s what experienced gynecologists are there for.
What if Artificial Insemination doesn’t work?
In Artificial Insemination procedure, your doctor gives a chance to the sperms and the egg to fertilize on their own. If this doesn’t work for any reason, he/she will suggest you to go for IVF or ICSI depending on your medical condition.
IVF – InVitro Fertilization, the fertilization of egg and sperms is done outside the body and once the embryo is formed, it is put into the uterus hoping that it implants itself to the inner lining of the uterus. If you have problems such as endometriosis (problem with inner lining of the uterus), this may not work and your doctor may have to go for other methods or treat the issue first.
ICSI – IntraCytoplasmic Sperm Injection is another assisted reproduction technique used in conjunction with IVF.
