IUI Process

Step One: Initial Consultation

As with any fertility treatment provided by our specialists, we request that you first make a new patient consultation. This gives us a chance to meet with you and review your medical and family history as well as your goals for treatment. You can discuss your conception attempts with our specialists and ask any questions you have about the different treatments we offer, including IUI.

Step Two: Fertility Testing

We recommend our patients undergo fertility testing prior to the IUI procedure, especially if they have been struggling to conceive naturally. We provide both female and male fertility testing, including bloodwork, pelvic ultrasounds, and semen analysis. This helps our fertility specialists better understand your fertility and uncover any potential causes behind infertility in order to create a personalized treatment plan for your best chances of a successful outcome.

Fertility Testing

Step Three: Preparing for Your Procedure

To prepare for your IUI procedure, we may recommend various fertility medication treatments to stimulate the ovarian follicles and develop one or more eggs. If needed, we can also stimulate ovulation using self-administered injections to increase the number of eggs released at once.

On the day of the insemination, we will collect a semen sample from the male partner or a sperm donor and have it washed. Washing the sample involves separating the sperm cells from seminal plasma to achieve a highly concentrated sample. Sperm that is not used during the subsequent round of artificial insemination can be cryopreserved (frozen and stored) for future use in other fertility treatments.

IUI typically occurs around the time of ovulation. Our fertility specialists will monitor a woman’s egg development through pelvic ultrasound and blood testing in order to determine the best time for injection of medication to stimulate ovulation, if necessary.

Ovulation Induction

Finding a Donor

Our fertility specialists are proud to help everyone achieve their family-growing goals. We understand that some patients—including couples experiencing male infertility, single parents by choice, and LGBTQ+ individuals—will need to use donor sperm for this procedure.

For donor sperm insemination, we follow the guidelines set by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, which recommends that physicians use only frozen semen and that the specimen be frozen and stored for at least 180 days to ensure it is free of transmissible diseases. Commercial sperm banks require infectious disease testing on the donor when the sperm is initially donated and then again six months later before the sperm can be released for commercial use. Our team can help to guide you to trusted and reputable sperm bank resources if needed.

Step Four: Insemination

Insemination is a relatively short procedure that can take place in-office. During the procedure, your doctor will insert a speculum into the vagina, which opens the pathway to the cervix. Next, your doctor gently inserts a sterile, flexible catheter into the vagina, through the cervix, and into the uterus. Once the catheter is in place, the concentrated sperm will carefully be injected. There, the sperm can more easily access newly released eggs in the hopes of fertilization.

Each artificial insemination procedure usually takes 10-15 minutes. Many women describe the experience of an IUI as similar to getting a Pap smear, and afterward, easily resume normal activities.

Step Five: IUI Results

Generally, patients will find out the results of the treatment within two weeks. We ask our patients to avoid taking an at-home pregnancy test, as it may not provide accurate results. Your doctor will recommend a pregnancy urine or blood test two weeks after IUI to officially confirm any pregnancy.

If the first IUI attempt was unsuccessful, it is possible to try again and achieve pregnancy on the second attempt. Negative results after the third IUI attempt will open discussions for other fertility treatments, such as IVF.

Talk to Our Fertility Specialists About Starting IUI

The specialists at the Fertility Institute are here to be your guides on your path to parenthood. IUI is an effective solution for several patients experiencing certain factors of infertility or who are otherwise unable to conceive on their own.

To start your IUI journey with us, contact us to request a new patient consultation.

Request an Appointment