You may try to get pregnant naturally. But, various issues in fertility may block your way to parenthood. Currently, Infertility has become a common issue for many couples. Among those, Intrauterine Insemination is one of the ART techniques and most of them will prefer this for a successful pregnancy.
After the treatment of IUI, the most common question for every couple is whether IUI guarantees the path to a successful pregnancy.
The answer is NO. This is because various factors are involved in successful IVF.
Mostly, after the first try of the IUI cycle, the chance of getting pregnant is from 7 – 10 %.
In this blog, you will learn about the reason for the low success rate, how to make IUI successful, a reason to choose IUI and the most important factors that influence the success rate of IUI.
Why is the success rate of IUI so low?
IUI’s success rate is around 7 – 10 % per cycle. You might be expecting pregnancy on the first try of the IUI cycle. But, before that you need to know what are the challenges that IUI is facing to increase the success rate.
The various challenges are as follows,
Block in fallopian tube:
If there is a blockage in the fallopian tube then it is difficult for the sperm to reach the eggs. It is because the fallopian tube is the connection from the ovary to the uterus where the sperms are traveled for the fertilization purpose. Even if the injected sperm is healthier, it is tough for them to reach eggs as it gets blocked.
Undergoing various medications:
Nowadays, even in the early 30’s, people are suffering from various common diseases and undergoing treatments to cure them. For that, it is important to take medications regularly. So, the chemicals present in the medications may affect the process of fertilization.
Number of cycles:
The other reason for lowering the success rate of IUI is the number of cycles you undergo during pregnancy. There are no research findings that gaurentees success on the first try of IUI. Undergoing the number of cycles helps to increase the success of IUI.
Ovulation Window:
It is the period when the eggs are released from the ovaries. By using an ovulation predictor kit, it is easy to monitor the process of ovulation. But, to some extent, if there is any slight mistake in noticing the function, there is a chance for the failure of IUI.
Common reasons for choosing IUI
Some of the common reasons for choosing the treatment of IUI are
Donor Sperm
Mostly, single women or same-sex couples wish to get pregnant without the help of a partner. In this situation, the IUI treatment is highly recommended because the sperm that is injected has been collected from an unknown person.
Endometriosis issues
This is a condition in which the tissue that is similar to the lining of the uterus is grown outside of the uterus. It may be either found in ovaries or fallopian tubes. Because of extra growth in the tissues, it causes blockage in the fallopian tubes where even the quality of sperm cannot reach the eggs.
But, with the help of IUI treatment the sperm enters directly into the uterus and reaches eggs even if fallopian tubes get blocked.
Cervical issues
The cervix is a muscular organ that connects the opening between the vagina and uterus. The mucus released in the cervix helps the sperm to reach the egg.
If the mucus is thicker than normal, then there is a chance of low fertility. However, IUI treatment helps to connect the sperm to the uterus directly as it reaches the egg and breaks the cervical issues.
Unexplained infertility
This is the most common issue where couples try to get pregnant but cannot. They will undergo some medical tests to find the problem within them, but unfortunately no test gives an accurate or exact reason for the problem. In this case, IUI helps to make their dream come true.
Semen allergy
In this issue, the women will get affected but it is a rare allergy. This happens because the seminal fluid antigen found in semen may infect a female’s reproductive system. So, it is better to move with IUI treatment to avoid these types of infections.
Tips for successful IUI
Here are the various tips for your successful journey of IUI
Regular medications
As per your doctor’s instruction, you must take medications regularly. You should not skip medications for any reason. Some side effects may be because of consuming medications as it is only for a temporary period.
Monitor with ultrasound
With the help of ultrasound, it is easy to monitor your menstrual cycle. Knowing that the ovaries are in the middle of the cycle, helps to calculate the correct time for the IUI treatment. Sometimes, the ultrasound helps to assess the thickness of the uterine lining as this lining is crucial for fertilization.
Optimize sperms
Doing mindful activities and following a healthy lifestyle helps to increase the quality of sperm. Factors such as quality, quantity, motility and shape are important for fertilization. To improve these, you must avoid eating processed foods and transform your lifestyle.
Give yourself enough time
After the treatment of IUI, you should not get stressed for the results to happen in future. You need to relax and do some activities which make your mind more relaxed.
Factors influencing success rates
History of fertility
It is crucial data because the doctor needs to know whether the couple is facing any infertility issues in the past. As per their history, they may be provided with the proper medications and treatments for successful IUI.
Age factor
This is an individual factor where it varies from person to person. Mostly, women in their younger age ( below 30 ) have a success rate of 20 -25 % per one IUI cycle. Whereas women above the age of 40 will have a dropping chance of 5% per cycle.
Uterine health
Without the help of the uterus, it is impossible to get pregnant. Because the endometriosis should have a proper lining in the uterus which helps the sperm to get connected directly to the eggs.
Conclusion
However, undergoing various cycles may have the chance of getting 100% pregnant with IUI. Some of the factors might also influence the success rate of IUI which should be in good condition in your body. Don’t worry if you fail in the first IUI. You can try for more cycles as it is low cost until you reach parenthood.
It is compulsory to take 6 rounds of the IUI cycle to meet out with a 95% success rate. 3 – 4 rounds of the IUI cycle meet out with an 85% success rate.
Yes, people get pregnant with the treatment of IUI. However, the success rate depends on their age factor. Women under the age of 35 have 10 – 20 %, 35 – 40 has 10 – 15 % and above 45 have 5 – 10 % per cycle.
