IUI, or intrauterine insemination, involves using a catheter to place washed sperm directly into your uterus. This bypasses your cervix and gives the sperm a head start on their long journey to fertilize an egg.
Natural conception is tricky, with only a small fraction of sperm making it to the egg. Many get trapped, die, or lose the race entirely.
How long does it take for sperm to reach the egg after iui?
After IUI, it takes about 24 hours for sperm to reach and fertilize the egg. Once fertilization occurs, the fertilized egg travels through the fallopian tube and into the uterus where it will continue to grow and become your baby. Fertilization happens because a sperm encounters and penetrates the outer layer of the egg, called the zona pellucida. The sperm has special receptors on its surface that specifically recognize human eggs. Once the sperm penetrates the egg, the surface of the egg changes and becomes impermeable to penetration by other sperm.
During IUI, doctors place the sperm directly into your uterus, bypassing the vagina and the cervix. This allows the sperm to get a head start on their journey to the egg and improves the chances of fertilization. In addition, the IUI procedure is usually done right before ovulation so that the sperm can reach the egg more easily.
A sperm test and/or a pelvic ultrasound are usually performed before an IUI procedure. This helps doctors determine whether you have a healthy uterus and the best chance of conception. In some cases, a pelvic infection or other health issue can interfere with fertility treatment. In these cases, a doctor may recommend other fertility treatments such as in vitro fertilization (IVF) or sperm donation.
For IUI, you or your partner will provide a sample of semen that is washed in the laboratory. This process concentrates the sperm and removes any excess fluid. It also eliminates dead sperm, weak sperm, bacteria and prostaglandins that can cause uterine cramping. It also increases the number of motile sperm cells that can reach the ends of the fallopian tubes and become fertilized.
The sperm is then injected into the woman’s uterus via a thin tube known as a catheter. The procedure is relatively painless and very similar to a pap smear. Some women may feel slight cramping, but it is typically not a big deal.
Do You Need to Lay Down After IUI?
Some clinics ask their patients to lie down after an IUI procedure. It was believed that this would help prevent sperm from trickling out of the cervix and into the fallopian tubes where they can fertilize an egg. However, a new study challenges this belief and suggests that lying down after IUI does not affect the success of the procedure.
IUI benefits include:
Some couples have a problem with the pH of the woman’s vagina, which makes it hostile to sperm. In other cases, a man has erectile dysfunction or can’t ejaculate. IUI can solve these problems by withdrawing the sperm from the rectum using a medical device. IUI is an excellent choice for couples who have low sperm counts, sperm impairments or unexplained infertility. In addition, IUI can be used for couples whose partners have an allergy to the proteins in their partner’s semen that can be removed during sperm washing. It’s also an option for couples with certain chemistry issues, such as those with a low pH of the semen, which kills the sperm or makes it difficult for it to swim to the egg.
