Intrauterine Insemination (IUI) Abroad

Intrauterine Insemination Cost:
{Price estimate above covers doctor fees, legal fees, surrogate work up, antenatal care, delivery charges, surrogate compensation, egg donor, drugs and consumables, & IVF costs}
International Destinations: India, Jordan, Mexico, South Korea

Intrauterine Insemination (IUI) is one of the methods of assisted reproduction. It is a process by which sperms are deposited by artificial means into the uterus of the women, at the time of ovulation.

The objective is to get the sperms as close to the ovum (i.e. the human egg) as possible, and to promote fertilization.

The procedure is also referred to as artificial insemination (AI) and often is done in conjunction with fertility drugs to promote ovulation.

There are several other techniques of artificial insemination, which include intra-vaginal insemination (i.e. the sperms are injected into the vagina), intra-cervical insemination (i.e. the sperms are injected artificially into the cervix) or intra-tubal insemination (i.e. the sperms are injected directly into the fallopian tubes).

Intrauterine insemination is the most common technique used to deal with infertility among couples.

There are several international medical tourism destinations, where this technology is available at a fraction of the price that is charged in the United States.

These destinations include South Korea in East Asia, India in South East Asia, Jordan and Turkey in West Asia and Mexico in North America.

When is Intrauterine Insemination (IUI) Needed?

• Intrauterine Insemination is a procedure which is meant to help couples who suffer from infertility. This technique is helpful when the cause of infertility is due to one of the following,
• It is used as the first line of treatment for the management of infertility with unexplained cause or reason.
• When the male counterpart suffers from a low sperm count (i.e. a spermatozoa count of less than 20 million per milliliter of ejaculate) clinically referred to as Oligozoospermia, or when the sperms have a poor motility ( i.e. the sperms are not strong enough to move and reach the ovum for fertilization)
• It may also be used for couples who are unable to have sexual intercourse due to injury, disability or premature ejaculation.
  Intrauterine insemination is also suggested to women who suffer from mild form of endometriosis.
• It is also useful for women who don’t have a male partner but want to conceive. In such situations, sperm from a donor is used to undertake the procedure of intrauterine insemination.

Pregnancy Rates after Intrauterine Insemination (IUI)

Though there are several factors which affect the possibility of a woman getting pregnant after using the procedure, clinical evidence and statistical data suggests that the conception rate ranges from 60% to 70% after an average of six trial cycles.

This is a substantially higher than Intravaginal Insemination and Intracervical insemination techniques.

Intrauterine Insemination: The Procedure

The treatment procedure depends upon the nature and cause of the infertility. The steps mentioned in this section are subjected to change depending upon the medical and clinical condition of the patient and other parameters,

In women who may require stimulation of the ovarian follicles, fertility drugs are prescribed in advance. These fertility drugs stimulate the ovarian follicles (i.e. the capsules which contain the ovum) and promote the release of a mature ovum/ egg.

Since this process involves stimulation of the ovulation process, it is referred to as “Stimulated Cycles”. Certain women may not require the support of fertility drugs to promote ovulation.

These cycles are called “Natural cycles or un-stimulated Cycles”

Intrauterine insemination is done specifically at the time when ovulation is expected. Though intrauterine insemination is done between the 12th and the 15th day of a menstrual cycle, the exact time would depend upon when the ovulation takes place.

The physician will use an ultrasound, to capture images of the ovary or conduct some blood tests to evaluate the ovulation process. When these investigations indicate that the ovum is ready to be released, artificial insemination can be done.

The women may ovulate naturally or she may be injected with Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG), a hormone that causes ovulation (i.e. release of the mature ovum from the ovarian follicle)

When the woman is ready to ovulate, sperm is collected from the male partner and is washed to extract the sperms of best quality and motility. This process is referred to as “sperm wash”.

In some cases when the sperm quality of the male partner is not good, the male partner suffers from a genetic disorder, or the female doesn’t have a male partner, sperms from a donor may be used.

Using a catheter or a tube, the gynecologist will be able to put the sperms directly into the uterus close to the fallopian tube. This is the simple procedure of intrauterine insemination.

Intrauterine Insemination (IUI): Preparing for The Procedure

Intrauterine insemination as discussed is a simple procedure which can be done on an out patient basis, without the use of anesthesia. However certain considerations prior to undertaking the procedure include,

The male partner is requested to abstain from sexual intercourse or masturbation, for at least three consecutive days prior to the intrauterine insemination.

The objective is to ensure collection of adequate amount of seminal fluid, essential for the procedure

If the female partner is on fertility drugs to stimulate ovulation, it is essential that she follow up with the gynecologist on regular basis.

It is of utmost importance, that, the insemination should take place at the same time as that of ovulation, for the procedure to be successful.

Hence, the female partner may be requested to visit the gynecologist on a regular basis, between the 12th to the 18th day of the cycle.

Intrauterine Insemination: Care After the Procedure

Intrauterine insemination is an uncomplicated procedure and doesn’t require any special precautions to be followed after the procedure.

In some cases the gynecologist may advice the woman to take the next day off at work. The woman is asked to undergo a pregnancy test about two weeks after the procedure.

Limitation of Intrauterine Insemination Procedure

For the procedure of insemination, the male partner is expected to produce a fresh sperm sample just prior to the procedure. This could make the male partner uncomfortable.

The procedure requires a catheter to be inserted into the uterus, which can cause cramps or pains similar to menstrual pain.

In some women, fertility drugs may cause ovarian hyper-stimulation syndrome (OHSS), when the ovaries respond strongly to the drugs and the ovaries increase in size and cause leakage of fluid into the abdominal cavity, causing the patient to feel bloated and make the women gain weight.

Intrauterine Insemination in South Korea

Intrauterine insemination is a simple procedure, which requires substantial technological and clinical expertise.

South Korean hospitals, have recently upgraded their healthcare infrastructure to cater to the needs of international patients from around the globe. The country provides medical services at lower costs and international standards.

Intrauterine Insemination in India

India has over the past few years, established several medical centers of international repute to cater to international patients.

Though intrauterine insemination is a relatively simple procedure, these medical services are available at low cost with success rate equivalent to those in the United States.

Intrauterine Insemination in Mexico

The World Health Organization has ranked Mexico, as having the 61st best healthcare infrastructure, far ahead of some of the surging medical tourism destinations.

Due to its close proximity, Mexican doctors are well acquainted with the culture and practices in the United States, which is seen by many medical tourists as an essential aspect of seeking medical care abroad.

Intrauterine Insemination in Turkey

With steeply increasing flow of medical tourists from around the globe, Turkey is becoming a nucleus for medical travel care in West Asia.

Turkey has leveraged its qualities, like highly trained professionals, quality standards comparable to Europe and the US and affordable costs of medical care, to gain rapid growth in the market of medical tourism.

Intrauterine Insemination in Jordan

Medical infrastructure in Jordan has gained substantial progress in terms of quality and range of services.

With a strong commitment from the country administration, to attract international patients, Jordan is experiencing positive changes in the domain of healthcare. This is attracting several medical tourists to seek care in the country.