March 1st, 2016
Infertility is a fairly common issue that affects more than 7.4 million couples across the United States (1). According to latest statistics reported in the peer reviewed Fertility and Sterility (1) journal, researchers reported that the current prevalence of infertility in US population is 15.5%.
Fortunately, with all the technological advancements and innovative treatment options available today, even infertile couples can also look for practical solutions to enjoy the blessings of parenthood. Artificial insemination is an effective and popular assistive reproductive technique that has helped hundreds and thousands of couples worldwide.
As part of this procedure, semen sample is collected from the male partner (or a donor) and is directly deposited in the female genital tract (either uterus, fallopian tubes or cervix) after washing and preparation. It is recommended to practice abstinence for at least 3 to 5 days before collecting a semen sample in order to ensure a fairly high sperm count. The laboratory washing of semen helps in removing the chemicals to improve the chances of successful pregnancy.
The artificial insemination procedure aims at shortening the trip of sperms in the female genital tract, in order to increase the chances of successful conception. The success rate of the procedure is fairly high if performed in expert hands.
There are two primary types of artificial insemination; these are:
Male Factors
According to a new study reported in the peer reviewed journal Reproductive Biomedicine Online (2), investigators suggested that following criteria should be met for a semen sample to be used for artificial insemination:
Female Factors:
In order to increase the chances of a successful pregnancy, your doctor may combine artificial insemination procedure with a variety of fertility drugs that are meant to induce ovulation of more than one eggs. Your doctor may conduct a number of tests to confirm ovulation before performing insemination.
The success rate of artificial insemination after one cycle usually ranges from 10 – 20%. Fortunately, most couples are able to get pregnant with repeated cycles. It is imperative to keep in mind that a number of factors can influence your chances of getting pregnant after this procedure; such as:
Artificial insemination procedure is relatively inexpensive and non-invasive. It has a fairly high success rate in couples who have a certain type of infertility. Other reasons to choose artificial insemination are:
Do not lose hope if you didn’t succeed in the first attempt. It is recommended to try at least 3 to 6 times before choosing another more invasive/ costly method of reproduction.
1. Thoma, M. E., McLain, A. C., Louis, J. F., King, R. B., Trumble, A. C., Sundaram, R., & Louis, G. M. B. (2013). Prevalence of infertility in the United States as estimated by the current duration approach and a traditional constructed approach. Fertility and sterility, 99(5), 1324-1331.
2. Ombelet, W., Dhont, N., Thijssen, A., Bosmans, E., & Kruger, T. (2014). Semen quality and prediction of IUI success in male subfertility: a systematic review. Reproductive biomedicine online, 28(3), 300-309.
3. Cao, S., Zhao, C., Zhang, J., Wu, X., Zhou, L., Guo, X., … & Ling, X. (2014). A minimum number of motile spermatozoa are required for successful fertilisation through artificial intrauterine insemination with husband’s spermatozoa. Andrologia, 46(5), 529-534.