Insemination - who qualifies to this procedure, and for whom it is not recommended?
We invite couples to participate in the clinical study of a drug improving the effectiveness of insemination. The study is conducted in the InviMed clinics in Warsaw and in Poznań. We have asked Tomasz Rokicki, MD, PhD, an experienced gynaecologist and at the same time the Medical Director of InviMed Warsaw Clinic to explain what insemination is, for whom it is recommended and why it is worth participating in the study.
What is insemination?
Intrauterine Insemination (IUI) is one of the techniques used in the treatment of infertility. This is basically a safe and painless procedure which involves placing into the uterus a sample of sperm, previously selected and appropriately prepared in laboratory conditions. Sperm cells are administered using a thin silicone catheter.
Who is the insemination treatment recommended for?
The intrauterine insemination procedure can be used by couples who remain childless despite good results of fertility tests and long-lasting attempts at pregnancy, or where the male partner’s semen slightly deviates from normal, or the male partner experiences ejaculation disorders. Insemination is also recommended for couples with confirmed idiopathic infertility, i.e. infertility the causes of which cannot be diagnosed in the present state of knowledge.
When is insemination not recommended?
Insemination will be ineffective in the case of bilateral tubal obstruction, as well when the patient’s semen is of very poor quality, e.g. contains less than one million sperm cells in one millilitre.
Is IVF preceded by insemination procedures?
Not in all cases. A couple is qualified to in vitro fertilisation after a 12-minth period of treatment with alternative methods, including insemination. However, the treating physician may decide to qualify the couple to IVF earlier, if pregnancy is unlikely with the use of other methods. This is the case, for example, with the obstruction of both fallopian tubes, inability to induce ovulation or severe endometriosis, as well as poor semen quality. In such cases insemination will not bring results, therefore it does not have to precede the IVF procedure
How many times the insemination procedure must be repeated before we can try IVF?
In the case of insemination, pregnancy should be achieved within the first 4-6 cycles. Unsuccessful procedures are the indication for IVF.
What is the effectiveness of insemination?
Depending on the female patient’s age, quality of semen used for fertilisation and the number of mature follicles following the hormone stimulation, the effectiveness of the treatment using intrauterine insemination ranges from 10% to 25% per cycle. However - just like almost every treatment, insemination procedures advance with the development of medicine and technology. For example, at present InviMed is conducting clinical studies on a new drug with the purpose to improve the effectiveness of insemination. I have to mention here that we still can include couples who would like to participate in this study.
Why is it worth to take part in the study?
Every couple with medical indications for insemination can benefit from the participation in this study. First of all, couples enrolled in the clinical study will undergo tests required for insemination, receive the new drug and undergo the insemination procedure at no cost at all. And that’s a lot. Moreover, if the drug - as expected - increases the effectiveness of insemination, it will also boost the couples’ opportunities for becoming parents.
In order to notify your willingness to participate in the InviMed clinical study use the contact form available at: https://www.invimed.pl/kontakt