Intrauterine Insemination Specialist

What is intrauterine insemination (IUI)?

IUI, sometimes referred to artificial insemination, is a minimally invasive fertility treatment in which Dr. Gago places sperm into your uterus to increase their chances of reaching the fallopian tubes and joining with an egg. Dr. Gago monitors your menstrual cycle to time the IUI at your most fertile time. You may take ovary-stimulating medicine to ensure your ovaries produce and release mature, viable eggs.

What happens during IUI?

Depending on your health and the results of your fertility testing, Dr. Gago may prescribe ovary-stimulating medicine to boost your egg production and ensure ovulation. She monitors your menstrual cycle and levels of luteinizing hormones to identify when you ovulate and your most fertile days.

Dr. Gago collects a semen sample from your partner, or you can use donor sperm for IUI. She washes the semen to create a concentrated amount of sperm. Then, Dr. Gago uses a thin catheter to place the sperm directly into your uterus while you recline on a treatment table with your feet in stirrups. The insertion only takes a few minutes and isn’t painful.

After two weeks, you have a follow-up appointment and pregnancy test to find out if the IUI was successful. You have to wait two weeks because it can take a few days for a fertilized egg to attach to your uterine wall and for your body to start making the hormones that signal pregnancy in a urine or blood test.

Why would I need IUI?

Dr. Gago and the fertility experts at Gago Center for Fertility use IUI procedures when your partner has a low sperm count or reduced sperm mobility. They also use this procedure if you are using donor sperm to get pregnant. Other reasons that you might have an IUI include:

• Cervical issues such as scar tissue or thick cervical mucus that prevents sperm from entering the uterus
• Endometriosis-related fertility problems
• Unexplained infertility

If you have unexplained infertility or mild male factor fertility problems, you may want to try IUI before moving onto in vitro fertilization (IVF). IUI is less invasive and less expensive than IVF.

At Gago Center for Fertility, Dr. Gago and her team provide highly customized treatment plans and tailor their services to meet your needs. Call the practice today or make an appointment online for expert fertility assessment and personalized care.