What are the IUI Steps for Both Partners?
Intrauterine insemination, often called IUI or artificial insemination, is often one of the first fertility treatments your doctor may use in your treatment plan. Because it’s so common, we routinely get a lot of questions about how this treatment works. Specifically, what are the required IUI steps for both partners before and during the procedure.
IUI is commonly used for patients:
- Experiencing male fertility issues, usually related to sperm;
- Diagnosed with unexplained infertility;
- Needing to use donor sperm;
- Who are undergoing a controlled, medicated ovulation cycle.
When your doctor recommends that you have this procedure, it is understandable that you will want to know what happens during an IUI. While the procedure itself is quick and fairly easy, there is some preparation for both partners that needs to occur before it happens. Preparation often begins weeks to a month before the procedure.
IUI pre-steps for the female partner
- Baseline Ultrasound Monitoring – For the female partner, we begin with monitoring your cycle around 2-5 days after the start of your period. We do this through a vaginal ultrasound that looks at the ovaries and measures the follicles to give us a baseline reading.
- Ovulation Induction Medication – If your cycle is irregular, we will use medications to help your ovaries bring eggs to maturation.
- Stimulation Ultrasound Monitoring – Around cycle day 12, we will do another ultrasound to confirm there is a dominant egg forming.
- Hormone monitoring – During stimulation we will also monitor progress checking your hormone levels through bloodwork.
- Trigger Shot – When your ovaries are ready, based on lab work and ultrasound, you will be instructed to take a trigger shot at a specific time to guarantee the ovulation of the dominant egg follicle. The IUI procedure will be scheduled about 36 hours after the trigger shot.
IUI pre-steps for the male partner
- Sperm Collection – Unless you are using donor sperm or sperm that has been previously frozen, the male partner needs to provide a semen sample. This generally occurs about 1 to 2 hours before the IUI procedure time. You will be given specific instructions on how to collect the sample and how to provide it to our andrology lab.
- Sperm Preparation – After we receive the semen sample, it will be washed and prepared to separate the sperm from the semen fluid and concentrated. Our lab uses an identification barcode system to properly label the specimen to ensure the sample is matched correctly for the IUI procedure.
- Donor Sperm – Of course, if you are using donor sperm, our lab will take care of preparing your chosen sample for use in your IUI procedure.
It’s now time for the IUI procedure
On the day of the IUI procedure, the couple will come to our clinic to be prepped. The nurse will check you both in, make proper identification and then provide barcoded bracelets to ensure the correct sperm is used during the procedure. The sperm sample will be loaded into a syringe to be used for the procedure.
During the IUI procedure, the doctor will first place a speculum into your vagina to observe and clean the cervix. Then a thin, long tube connected to the loaded syringe is inserted through the cervix and into the uterus. The doctor then injects the concentrated sperm directly into the uterus toward the fallopian tube and ovary that will ovulate the dominant egg.
After the procedure, it is okay to resume normal activities. Around 14 days after the procedure, a home pregnancy test can tell you if conception occurred and you are possibly pregnant. It’s important not to test too early as the trigger shot can give a false positive. The couple is instructed to call our office after the pregnancy test, whether it is positive or negative, for what to do next.
