The Fertility Institute of Hawaii provides intrauterine inseminations also known as IUIs or artificial insemination in our Honolulu clinic.
Intrauterine Insemination is often used in conjunction with ovulation induction cycles. The underlying principle is to bypass the major loss points for sperm in the female reproductive tract (the vagina and cervix), so that more sperm may be placed closer to the “destination”. This allows significantly more sperm to be in the proximity of the eggs.
Insemination can be helpful in several situations. Sometimes fertility medications such as Clomid can actually change the viscosity of the cervical mucus, making it too thick for the sperm to swim up to the uterus. IUI can be useful for the treatment of mild to moderate male factor, especially when related to poor sperm function, such as a low count or motility.
It is very important to time the IUI procedure when ovulation is occurring. To prepare for the IUI procedure, the sperm are carefully washed and separated from the seminal plasma so that the most motile and viable sperm are concentrated into a very small volume. Next, they are loaded into a small catheter and injected into the uterine cavity. This procedure can be performed using the partner’s sperm or that of a donor. The sperm can take 60 to 90 minutes to prepare, but the insemination takes just a few minutes. You can then go on with the rest of your day. Bed rest is not required.