IUI Success Rate - What to Expect After IUI Treatment?

Intrauterine insemination (IUI) is a common fertility treatment that helps couples achieve their dreams of becoming a parent. Alternatively known as artificial insemination, IUI success rates depend on numerous factors, including your age, overall health, and cause of infertility. IUI alone can be helpful in becoming pregnant, but its success rates can be further increased substantially when IUI is performed in combination with fertility drugs.

What Is Intrauterine Insemination (IUI)?

IUI is a fertility procedure that involves injecting sperm directly into the woman’s womb. You have the liberty to choose your partner’s sperm or a donor’s sperm for this procedure. In the intrauterine insemination procedure, cleaned and concentrated sperm is directly inserted into your uterus to facilitate fertilisation.

This type of artificial insemination is recommended by doctors before moving on to more intensive and expensive fertility treatments. This procedure can naturally increase the success rate of a healthy pregnancy and smooth delivery.

Good Candidates for IUI

Here is a list of candidates that can benefit from IUI:

• Women who have complications with cervical mucus that can prevent the sperm from reaching the egg and fertilising it
• Women who are having trouble in conceiving, but their infertility is not yet diagnosed
• Women who have irregularity in ovulation
• Couples who experience dysfunctional sexual behaviour or problems during sexual intercourse, such as erectile dysfunction
• Women who are allergic to semen
• Women who have mild or moderate endometriosis
• Couples who experience mild male infertility due to low sperm count or poor sperm motility
• Women who wish to use donor’s sperm instead of their partner’s

The IUI Process

Here is a step-by-step guide on the general IUI process:

1. Ovulation Preparation

The first stage of IUI involves preparing for artificial insemination. Your fertility specialist will recommend you monitor your body and use at-home ovulation prediction tests to figure out the precise day and time of your ovulation. The at-home ovulation prediction tests work by detecting luteinising hormone to ascertain the timing of ovulation. Based on the test results, a date will be set for artificial insemination. Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) injections may also be administered along with other fertility medicine to facilitate the release of a mature egg if needed.

2. Sperm Sample Preparation

On the predetermined date of IUI, your chosen donor or spouse will produce a fresh sperm sample to be later prepared in the lab for insemination. If needed your partner’s sperms may be retrieved using a minimally invasive surgical procedure. Later, the sperms are prepared using a sperm washing procedure. This procedure prepares a concentration of healthy sperms, which is later used for insemination.

3. Artificial Insemination

Using the sperms prepared earlier, your doctor will directly inject them in your womb or uterus using a syringe with semi flexible round tip. If the IUI cycle is successful, your egg will be fertilised and implanted in the lining of your uterus.

4. Pregnancy Test

About 2 weeks after IUI, you will take an at-home pregnancy test. If the procedure was successful, your test result will show positive result and if it was not successful, your doctor will recommend suitable next steps for you. You may also go through another round of IUI before moving on to more intensive fertility treatments like IVF.

It is important to note that there is no one-size-fits-all in case of IUI and your IUI treatment plan may have slight variations in the process.

What Are the General Success Rates With IUI?

The success rate of IUI on the first try usually range around 10% to 20%. You can expect to undergo about 3 – 4 IUI cycles to get pregnant.

In general, IUI success rates range from 7% to 10% for each success if you are an overall healthy female with at least 1 open fallopian tube, a healthy uterus, and good quality eggs in good numbers and your partner’s sperm count is healthy. Incorporation of fertility drugs in an IUI cycle can increase your success rates to about 15% to 25%.

Data suggests that IUI success rates can range from 3% or 13% depending on your age. Thus, it is best to have realistic expectations while trying out IUI to conceive. It is completely normal for your first try at IUI to fail as the average chances of success are quite low.

• Women aged under 35 years can have 13% IUI success rate
• Women aged from 35 to 37 years can have 10% IUI success rate
• Women aged from 38 to 40 years can have 9% IUI success rate
• Women aged 40 years and above can have 3% to 9% success rate

People who opt for IUI possibly have some infertility issues, such as low sperm count and poor sperm quality, that are preventing them from conceiving naturally. Thus, IUI success rates are this low. Considering everything, IUI is regarded as a good option for couples experiencing problems with conceiving naturally as it is relatively less expensive than other fertility treatments and minimally invasive.

Understanding IUI Success rates—Factors that Determine IUI Success Rates

IUI is considered a basic fertility treatment that is minimally invasive and has the potential to help couples and individuals struggling with infertility at lesser costs than others form of fertility treatment. Generally, IUI procedure success rates are quite high, but there is no guarantee of success for everyone in IUI. Here is a list of factors that influence IUI success rates:

1. Female’s Age

IUI success rates by age decline over time as the female gets older. Age is one the most significant factors that influence the fertility of a woman. This is because with advancing age, the quality of your eggs decline.

2. Sperm Health 

A higher concentration of healthy sperm that have good motility positively impact on your insemination success rates. This is because, a healthy semen sample produces high quality sperm sample.

3. Fertility Drugs 

To promote follicle development inside the ovaries, your fertility specialist may prescribe certain fertility medications to enhance your IUI success rate. However, this is not always recommended to women going through an IUI cycle. The success rate of IUI can be influenced by the type of drug, its dosage, and frequency of usage, among other things.

4. Cause of Infertility 

The underlying fertility issues of you and/or your partner have a direct relation to your IUI success rates.

5. Healthy Diet 

Consuming a healthy, balanced diet improves your overall health, which can positively impact your fertility and chances of conception. You are recommended to focus on what you consume, especially when considering fertility treatments like IUI.

6. Moderate Exercise 

Similar to consuming a healthy diet, working out in moderation improves your overall health; thus, it is often recommended for people doing fertility treatments. However, remember to not overdo it and avoid excessively strenuous exercises as they impact your fertility negatively. Gentle exercises like yoga, swimming, and walking can be incorporated in your daily routine.

7. Stress

You may be aware of the negative impact of stress on your fertility. Thus, indulge yourself in meditation, gentle exercises, or simple breathing exercises among other things to bring down your stress levels, especially during IUI treatment to optimise your chances of conception.

How Can You Increase IUI Chances of Success?

To increase IUI percentage of success, at least one of your fallopian tubes must be normal. If both of your fallopian tubes are obstructed, the sperm may never be able to reach the egg and fertility. Additionally, having a regular supply of eggs or ovulation is extremely important in raising chances of IUI success rates. Here are a few tips that may answer your question, ‘how to improve IUI success?’:

• Follow your fertility specialist’s guidance
• Consume a healthy, balanced diet
• Manage emotional stress
• Perform moderate physical activity regularly
• Limit your caffeine intake
• Ensure proper sleep
• Quit smoking
• Avoid alcohol

Is IUI Fertility Treatment 100% Successful?

No. Just like any other fertility treatment, IUI cannot guarantee 100% success rate. The results of an IUI treatment cycle are dependent on several factors including the ones mentioned above. A combination of basic IUI treatment and fertility drugs can bring your IUI success rate to about 15% to 20%. But that does not guarantee childbirth either.

How Nova IVF Fertility Can Help You Improve Your IUI Success Rate?

By choosing Nova IVF Fertility, one of the leading fertility clinics in India, you can maximise your IUI success rates, get professional guidance, clarity your doubts, and have an ideal fertility partner for your parenthood journey.

With state-of-the-art equipment, highly experienced doctors, and advanced treatment options, you can ensure the highest care for yourself during a crucial phase in your life. Contact us today through 08049388781 or book an appointment to know more about IUI and how to realise your dream of becoming a parent.

Conclusion

A non-invasive fertility treatment like IUI can help many people become parents. Women who experience ovulation dysfunction or males who have low sperm count, for example, can be extremely helpful. Partner Nova IVF Fertility to maximise your IUI success rates.