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Insemination is a method used to treat infertility and promote reproduction. Its advantage is a relatively low price, low invasiveness and ease of the procedure. It is used in the case of women who have problems with getting pregnant, as well as in men with diagnosed sperm defects.
Insemination – what is it?
Insemination is an artificial insemination in which the man’s sperm is introduced into the woman’s reproductive system. Artificial insemination is one of the methods of assisted reproduction, one of the most popular treatments in the treatment of infertility for many years. It is a safe and painless procedure.
Insemination is used in women with ovulation disorders, those whose mucus is not conducive to sperm, and who have been diagnosed with idiopathic infertility (ie, infertility without an identified cause). Another circumstance is the inability of the partners to have sexual intercourse. Also, the weakness or low count of the partner’s sperm is an indication for insemination surgery.
There are several types of insemination. The first is intrauterine inseminationwhich is mainly done using your partner’s or donor’s sperm. It also applies outside of it cervical insemination and intratubal insemination.
Insemination – preparation
In surgery insemination partner’s sperm or sperm from a sperm bank are used.
If a couple who are in a legally unsanctioned relationship come to the clinic for insemination, the man must submit an appropriate statement to the Registry Office, stating that he will be the father of the child. This fact must be confirmed by a woman within 3 months. The declaration is valid for 14 months.
Before insemination is performed, a woman must undergo a series of tests. Belong to them:
- cytology (valid for 2 years)
- vaginal cleanliness test (valid for up to two months)
- cervical culture test (also valid for up to two months),
- chlamydia test (valid for one year),
- HIV testing,
- testing for the presence of HCV,
- testing for the presence of HBSAg virus
- VDRL test (for syphilis, valid for six months).
- toxoplasmosis test,
- rubella antibodies test,
- verification of the patency of the fallopian tubes (i.e. HSG test).
The need to conduct tests also applies to men. Before insemination they must perform:
- chlamydia test,
- HIV testing,
- testing for the presence of HCV,
- testing for the presence of HBSAg virus,
- test with VDRL.
Moreover, men are recommended to abstain from sexual intercourse 2-7 days prior to insemination.
Before the insemination procedure, the woman undergoes a hormonal treatment (oral medications or injections). Such treatment allows for obtaining an increased number of eggs (up to 2-3) in order to increase the chances of fertilization. The number of follicles, their size and the thickness of the endometrium are assessed, starting from the first days of the cycle, on the basis of a regular ultrasound examination.
Find out more: “What are the most common causes of infertility?”
Insemination – what is it?
When, during ovulation, the largest follicle reaches 18 mm and the mucosa is 8 mm, the woman is given gonadotropin – a hormone that causes ovulation (follicle rupture and release of the egg). The moment you ovulate is a signal for your partner to donate your sperm.
In the next stage it follows preparation of semen for insemination. It involves washing in the laboratory to isolate healthy and motile sperm, and to get rid of bacteria and prostaglandin (the hormone that causes uterine contractions). The next stage of the insemination procedure involves injecting sperm into the uterus using a thin silicone catheter. The procedure is completely painless and therefore does not require anesthesia.
Indications after insemination
After the procedure, the woman returns home. 2 or 3 days later, an ultrasound examination is recommended. In the second phase of the cycle, the patient continues to take medications supporting the embryo’s implementation. This period ends with a test for the level of βHCG, i.e. chorionic gonadotropin. It is a hormone produced during pregnancy. Increasing its level after insemination by 75%. may mean pregnancy.
If they show up pregnancy symptoms after inseminationDuring the first weeks of embryonic development, a woman takes progesterone (in the form of injections or tablets), which supports the functioning of the corpus luteum. Pregnancy as a result of insemination is considered a high-risk pregnancy. For this reason, a woman should remain under the supervision of a physician specialized in the treatment of infertility.
Read also: “Hormones under control, or the hormonal profile for women”
Insemination – contraindications
Insemination cannot be performed in women who suffer from obstruction of the ovaries and who have inflammation of the reproductive organs or uterine fibroids (depending on the location). Also, problems with the uterine mucosa, neoplastic process, various severe systemic diseases and sperm pathologies (including bacterial) are contraindications to insemination.
Insemination – effectiveness
The effectiveness of insemination is much lower than that of in vitro fertilization. With high sperm motility, the probability of pregnancy after first time insemination ranges from a few to 20 percent.
In the event of its failure, it is possible to carry out the procedure from 3 to 6 times. If this fails to result in fertilization, and the partners are still trying to conceive, they should consider another type of approach.
The success of insemination is influenced by:
- woman’s age,
- the quality of the semen used,
- the number of mature follicles that formed after hormonal stimulation.
Insemination – the price of the procedure
Insemination is an infertility treatment procedure that is cheap and affordable for most couples. The cost of one insemination treatment ranges from PLN 700 to PLN 1300.
Inseminacja a in vitro
Intrauterine insemination is an older and much simpler process than in vitro. The most important difference between the two treatments is the fact that in the case of the former, fertilization takes place in the uterine cavity, i.e. under natural conditions. In the case of in vitro fertilization, however, fertilization is carried out in laboratory conditions and the embryo enters the woman’s uterus.
The in vitro method, unlike insemination, enables people with HIV and HCV or severe genetic diseases to have healthy offspring.
In vitro is used as one of the ultimate methods of treating infertility, while insemination is one of the treatments underlying this process. This is also related to their effectiveness, and hence – the price. In vitro fertilization will be characterized by a higher success rate, as much as 35%, but also by a higher price, being up to ten times the cost of insemination.
Insemination without a partner
There is a possibility of execution insemination with donor sperm. Pursuant to the Act on the treatment of infertility, it does not apply to single women, and it is possible only in the case of couples with sperm defects of the declared partner.
Choosing the right donor semen for insemination It begins with an interview in which the blood type, eye and hair color, height and body structure are determined. Each of the registered donors is tested for the presence of viral diseases (HIV, HCV, HCB), bacterial diseases (chlamydiosis, syphilis) or the mutation of the CFTR gene (causing cystic fibrosis). In addition, qualified donors for insemination undergo a karyotype test, i.e. a qualitative and quantitative chromosome analysis.
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