Artificial Insemination Treatment
Infertility is defined as the absence of pregnancy despite regular sexual intercourse 2-3 times a week for one year. However, after one year, 82% of couples desiring pregnancy can achieve it. Unfortunately, nowadays, one in six couples faces infertility issues. One of the treatments for infertility is artificial insemination. Artificial insemination involves the stimulation and maturation of eggs in women using certain pills or injections, followed by their release and subsequent selection of the most motile sperm through various procedures, which are then introduced into the uterus using a special catheter. This process aims to increase the chances of sperm finding and fertilizing the egg in the fallopian tube. It is not a painful procedure and does not require anesthesia during the procedure, except for patients with vaginismus.
What is Artificial Insemination Treatment for?
Artificial insemination can be performed to increase the chances of pregnancy for women who cannot conceive through natural means or with ovulation induction therapy before undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF). Additionally, it can be applied to patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), unexplained infertility, mild sperm count and motility issues, and patients with vaginismus. The success rate of artificial insemination varies depending on factors such as the patient’s age, duration of infertility, and the man’s sperm condition, but generally does not exceed 15% per attempt. Although theoretically artificial insemination can be attempted up to six times, if pregnancy is not achieved within the first three attempts, the chances of success decrease with subsequent attempts.
When is Artificial Insemination Treatment not performed?
For artificial insemination to be possible, a woman’s fallopian tubes (the tubes that connect the ovaries to the uterus) must be open and healthy.
Artificial insemination is not recommended if the woman is over 40 years old, has diminished ovarian reserve, or is at risk of early menopause.
It is also not recommended if there is a low sperm count or poor sperm quality in the male partner, or if advanced endometriosis is present.
If both fallopian tubes are blocked, artificial insemination is not recommended.
When is Artificial Insemination Treatment performed?
Artificial insemination can be performed based on natural egg development monitoring, but using injections to stimulate egg growth and performing insemination shortly after egg release will increase the chances of pregnancy. To increase the chances of success, artificial insemination should be performed 36-48 hours after the ovulation injection.
Who is suitable for Artificial Insemination Treatment?
The most suitable candidates for artificial insemination are women under 35 with good ovarian reserve, who have been married for less than 3 years, and who have at least one open fallopian tube shown in a uterine X-ray, along with male partners with advanced motile sperm count of over 5 million. For artificial insemination to be considered, at least one fallopian tube in the woman must be open. If the tubes are blocked, artificial insemination cannot be performed. Additionally, if the number of motile sperm is less than 5 million, in vitro fertilization (IVF) should be preferred over artificial insemination.
