There are many questions in the mind of a person who is going for infertility treatment. IUI is the most advised infertility treatment and thus has the most queries too. Reading the IUI success stories of others puts hope in every patient’s heart th
at they can also live this beautiful journey called parenthood. Making one of the IUI success stories as yours does need many considerations.
Whether the infertility condition is assisted by IUI or not? Which infertility clinic to choose from? After IUI what happens? How many cycles are needed for a successful IUI pregnancy? What is the success rate of IUI? And many others. Getting the best possible answer to all the questions is necessary for couples to decide if IUI is the best infertility treatment for them or not.
Read this blog to get the most appropriate answers for all your IUI-related queries.
Here is the list of frequently asked question that everyone should know
What is the IUI success rate and on which factors it depends?
IUI’s success rate varies from person to person but on average, it has a 20% success rate with the percentage changing based on many factors. The factors on which success rates depend are
Age
Age is one of the most important factors for the IUI success rate. Male partner’s age affects the success rate but not as much as the female partner’s. With the increase in the age of females, the success rate decreases. After the age of 40 years, infertility experts do not advise going for IUI treatment as the quality of eggs deteriorates a lot and more than 1 IUI cycle is almost always needed for successful IUI pregnancy. The ideal candidates for IUI infertility treatment are women below the age of 35 years. They have a success rate of 15-20% per cycle and women in the age group of 35-40 years have up to a 10% chance of successful IUI pregnancy. It comes to as low as 5% for women above the age of 40 years.
Women with PCOS or other ovulatory diseases
Medication is often required to conceive for women who have Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, PCOS, anovulation, an irregular or complete absence of ovulation. PCOS is the most common disorder of ovulation that affects one in ten women worldwide. This results in irregular or absence of periods. Many patients are benefited from Letrozole, others from Clomid, and few by a combination of both, and still some who are benefited from any.
Patients having PCOS, who ovulate and need gonadotropins have higher success rates of IUI pregnancies than others.
Unexplained infertility
There is no discovered reason for infertility in unexplained infertility. Unexplained fertility commonly means that a woman has unblocked fallopian tubes, good egg count, suitable uterus, and a male has good quality and quantity of sperms. After 3 IUI cycles coupled with medications like Clomid or Letrozole, the IUI success rate goes up to 15-25%.
Single Open Fallopian tube
It’s good that for a successful pregnancy a single open fallopian tube is enough. In the case of a single open fallopian tube, the success rate varies based on where the blockage is.
Women with one open fallopian tube under the age of 38 years can expect to have a 38.1% success rate of IUI pregnancy after 3 cycles. 11.7% is the success rate of conceiving for women with distal occlusion.
The number of eggs
A higher number of eggs means a higher rate of IUI success. The main aim of ovarian stimulation combined with medications is to produce many eggs so that fertilization has higher chances.
Medicated stimulation results in twins, triplets, and even quadruple which increases health risks for the woman and the baby.
IUI success rates with male infertility problems
Though fertility depends hugely on females, males with mild infertility factors can benefit from IUI. Patients who have less than 7 million motile sperms are considered to have severe infertility problems. Sperms used after washing for IUI have a 16.9% success rate.
What are the don’ts after the IUI treatment?
For a successful IUI, do not do the following things after the IUI treatment.
Pain killers should be avoided
It is extremely normal to feel a little uncomfortable after the treatment because of the cramps and pain. But it is never advised to take painkillers to cope up with the uneasiness as taking them can have a negative effect on your treatment and can reduce its success rate. If the pain is unbearable you can consult your infertility expert for what should be done. No medication should be taken without any consultation.
Stress should not be entertained
The two weeks wait after the IUI treatment is full of emotional disbalance as the fear of failure is full of anxiety and stress on one hand and on the other, there is happiness related to starting the journey of parenthood. Taking stress has a huge negative impact on the body and it affects the balance of hormones in the body which reduces the chances of a successful IUI. Not every couple conceives in the first IUI cycle itself so do not stress over it and keep yourself busy in some healthy activities. Go for walking, connect with friends, practice yoga, do meditation, paint that painting you always wanted to, watch your favorite movies, and do anything that helps you remain positive and optimistic. During this time remain as positive as you can and only have realistic expectations.
Do not lift heavyweights
Lifting extremely heavy weights is never advised and after IUI treatment they should be avoided more. Lifting heavy weights can damage the lining of the uterus resulting in IUI failure. Also, it can cause cramps which are not good for the success of IUI.
Avoid swimming
Within 48 hours of the treatment, swimming should be avoided by the female partner. Though it does not have any direct impact on the treatment the pool water can cause infections that are not beneficial for the treatment at any cost.
Be safe from harmful radiations
Keep yourself away from harmful radiations and coming in contact with chemicals after the treatment as it can decrease the chances of successful IUI. Even prolonged exposures to direct sunlight can affect the chances of successful IUI pregnancy.
Stop smoking and consuming alcohol
Women who smoke have half the chances of getting pregnant as compared to those who do not smoke at all. Men who smoke have low sperm count and decreased sperm quality. Nicotine in the cigarette causes erectile dysfunction as it hinders the blood flow towards the penis tip. Even after conceiving women should avoid smoking and drinking as they can cause permanent deformity or abnormal growth of the baby.
After IUI what happens day by day?
After IUI what happens day by day is described below
3 days past IUI
Many women just after the IUI infertility treatment experience spotting. This is nothing to be worried about as the vagina and the cervix are irritated during the treatment. But one must consult the infertility expert if the bleeding does not stop even after 3 days as implantation is not possible this soon (it takes almost 7 to 11 days) and it may be a matter of concern. You may experience other symptoms which should be noted down for further reference.
6 days after IUI
After 6 days of the treatment, it is time to monitor for the implantation symptoms. Usually, implantation occurs after a week of treatment but you may notice light bleeding by now.
For some women, bleeding is coupled with cramps during implantation. In others, no symptoms are visible this early so absence of symptoms at the initial stage should never be confused with failure of IUI. Many women experience implantation symptoms only after 11 to 12 days of the treatment.
10 days after IUI
If your treatment is successful, you are most likely to experience early pregnancy symptoms.
Cramps in abdomen
It is one of the symptoms of pregnancy. Feeling dull pressure in the abdomen or experiencing cramps are common in successful treatment. To soothe the pain, drink water, do exercise, eat healthily, do not stress, sit in the correct posture, and if the situation goes out of control then consult the infertility expert.
Breast tenderness
Feeling of heaviness in breasts, swollen nipples, sore breasts, painful breasts are all signs of early pregnancy. They may be signs of other things also so it is best to do a pregnancy test to confirm the pregnancy.
Nausea
Feeling nauseous from morning itself, vomiting, and mood swings are early symptoms of pregnancy that should be confirmed by taking a blood test or pregnancy tests.
Tiredness and exhaustion
The increase in the levels of progesterone during pregnancy can be a cause of fatigue and exhaustion in women after the treatment. This coupled with other symptoms indicates successful implantation but still taking pregnancy tests for confirmation is highly needed.
Problem indigestion
Occasional gas, bloating, indigestion due to an increase in progesterone level during pregnancy happens. Progesterone causes the muscles to relax and results in issues during digestion.
Body pain
Headaches and back pains are also resulting from progesterone increase in the body during the first trimester. This is how the body prepares for pregnancy.
What is the IUI cost in India?
IUI cost in India depends on many factors and varies from city to city and even clinic to clinic. Based on the medications used, tests are done, and the consultation fee of the infertility expert the cost varies. Patients requiring ovulation stimulation have to obviously pay more than the patients not in need of it.
The cost of a single IUI cycle is Rs.3000. If your first cycle comes out to be successful then keeping the traveling expenses and medicines aside will only cost you Rs.10,000 in total including all the tests and ultrasound scans done before the treatment is initiated. The cost of medications excluding the injection ranges from Rs.500 to Rs.5,000 which means that in a single cycle you may have to pay Rs.3,000 for oral medicines. The cost per injection is around Rs.500 To boost fertility levels and stimulation of eggs, some doctors prescribe HCG- human chorionic gonadotrophins. In case you are advised to get multiple injections then the total cost might reach up to Rs.20,000 for a single cycle of IUI.
What is the difference between IUI and IVF?
What is the difference between IUI and IVF is what most of the couples who are planning for infertility treatment.
IVF stands for In vitro fertilization which is done outside the body in the artificial conditions of the laboratory. It is a type of assisted reproduction treatment that involves collecting eggs from a woman’s body and placing them in a petri dish in the laboratory, which is different from how the IUI procedure is done. The petri dish already contains washed sperm which are collected from the male partner by masturbation or from the sperm bank.
After a while, if all goes well, part of the collected eggs will be fertilized by the collected sperm. Germ cells after fertilization will become embryos. The healthy embryos will then be transferred to the uterus. The success rate of IVF is higher than the success rate of IUI if it is performed differently.
Before collecting eggs from the ovary, the ovary must be stimulated. For successful IVF, there should be more than one mature egg. The human body produces only one mature egg per month, but by stimulation, many eggs mature at the same time. Oftentimes, with minimal stimulation for IVF, only oral fertility drugs are used to stimulate a few additional eggs. IVF is done for different infertility conditions than the IUI. Besides, the cost of IVF in India is higher than the cost of IUI in India.
If you are looking for what is the difference between IUI and IVF, you will find the difference in the infertility conditions they are used for. IVF is used in the following infertility conditions.
Blockage or damage in Fallopian tube
Blocked or damaged fallopian tubes makes it difficult for egg(s) to travel to get fertilized or if fertilized then it’s difficult for the embryo to reach the uterus.
Ovulation disorders
Results in lesser eggs for fertilization.
Premature Ovarian Failure
Estrogen is produced in lesser amounts as the ovaries stop working before the age of 40 years.
Endometriosis
The infertility condition is which uterine tissues grow outside it. This results in improper functioning of fallopian tubes and ovaries.
Uterine Fibroid
Present in the wall of the uterus, fibroids are benign tumors. This occurs mainly in women of 30 and 40 years of age. After fertilization, it becomes difficult for eggs to implant.
Prior sterilization of tubes or removal
Leads to permanent prevention of pregnancy.
Dysfunctional sperm function and production
For male partner’s infertility condition in which sperms are not produced of good quality.
Unexplained fertility
IVF is better than IUI for infertility which has no discovered reason.
Other conditions are Genetic disorder, high-risk pregnancy, and fertility prevention because of cancer.
Q. When IUI is done for male infertility?
Infertility in males is related to the following issues
- Shape and size of the sperms
- Low sperm count
- Low production of sperms
- Motility of sperms by themselves and also while passing through the vagina towards the fallopian tubes.
The main factors responsible for male infertility are
- Age- After the age of 55 years, male fertility decreases considerably.
- Genes- About 2% to 8% of infertility in males is due to genetic disorders. Genes affect the process of spermatogenesis, the production of mature sperms.
- Smoking- Contrary to the believed notion that not all smoking is injurious to health, fertility is affected by whatever you smoke and whatever is the frequency of smoking. Every substance in any tobacco is injurious and causes one or the other infertility issue. Nicotine in cigarettes causes erectile dysfunction in males by providing hindrance in blood flow towards the tip of the penis.
- Alcohol- Excessive consumption prevents the production of sex hormones in the body.
- Overweight- This causes depression and later leads to low hormone production in males.
When IUI is done it is searched by many couples going for IUI treatment. IUI is beneficial for the following medical conditions of the male infertility - Retrograde ejaculation- In this infertility condition of males, siemens instead of ejaculating outside the penis enters the bladder. As a result of this, ejaculation is during orgasm. This condition needs an infertility expert’s care when one wants to become a father before that it has no major problem that needs the attention of an expert.
- Having antibodies that attack sperms and kill them- due to autoimmune diseases, a body’s immunity starts to kill the normal cells of the body including the sperms also.
- Undescended testicles- Testicles are the male sex organs responsible for producing male sex hormones and sperms. During the development of male fetuses in the womb, the testicles move in the scrotum. But in this condition, the testicles remain undescended and if remain untreated cause infertility at a later stage.
- Hormonal imbalance- Testosterone is the male sex infertility hormone. It contributes towards primary and secondary sexual development in males. Low testosterone levels result in low sex drive, low semen volume at the time of ejaculation, difficulty in the erection of the penis, smaller testicle size, and early fatigue. A combination of all this results in male infertility.
Q. What are the IUI success rates by age?
IUI success rates by age are very specific. It is not a hidden fact that as the age of a female partner increases, her fertility decreases because the quality and quantity of eggs decrease. Especially after the age of 35 years fertility in females decreases a lot. Every woman is born with all the eggs she will ever have in her life. No new eggs are ever formed. Thus as the age of females increases, the quality and quantity of eggs decrease. This is the main cause for decreases in IUI success rates by age.
Other than the major infertility issues which affect a female’s fertility, age is one of the most important factors in deciding the IUI success rates. It is not the case that all the people going for IUI get a successful pregnancy in the first cycle itself. 4 to 5 cycles are recommended by infertility experts under normal conditions before switching to IVF. But females after the age of 40 years do not have the quality and quantity of eggs that are required for repeated IUI cycles. This results in a gradual decrease in the IUI success rates by age. Even infertility experts do not advise going for IUI after the age of 40 years.
The ideal candidates for IUI treatment are under the age of 35 years. They have a success rate of 15-20% per IUI cycle. Females after the age of 35- 40 years have about 10% chances of IUI success and women after the age of 40% have only a 5% success rate or even lower than this per cycle.
There are many questions in the mind of a person going for IUI infertility treatment and getting the best possible answers for all of them is necessary for having one’s own IUI success stories. Knowing the IUI Success Rate by age, When IUI is done, What is the difference between IUI and IVF, After IUI what happens, and any queries should be taken care of by the infertility experts so that a person can decide to go with IUI with full confidence and clarity. At Subhag infertility clinic, the experts are available round the clock to assist the patients as and when they like.
