What is artificial insemination?
Artificial Insemination consists of placing a selected sample of semen, previously prepared and optimized in the laboratory, inside the uterus of the woman, in order to increase the potential of the sperm and the possibilities of fertilization of the ovum.
To increase the chances of pregnancy, the ovaries are hormonally stimulated and ovulation is controlled to know when is the best time to insemination.
Who is it suitable for?
It is indicated for patients with an unknown cause of infertility, non-severe endometriosis, or mild ovulation disorders. Or in the case of presenting defects in the quality of the semen.
Factors such as the woman's age and the possible existence of other causes that affect her fertility influence the final result, which is why, frequently, it is necessary to carry out more than one cycle to achieve pregnancy.
Artificial Insemination can be performed with semen from the partner (IAC), or with donor semen (IAD). To perform the IAC, minimum values of the seminogram are needed, especially in the values of recovery of motile spermatozoa (REM). Also, tubal obstruction should not be suspected.
How many cycles can I do?
Generally, no more than 3 cycles are indicated because the probability of pregnancy per cycle is not going to be very high, it rarely exceeds 20% with semen from a partner. However, with semen from the bank the results are higher, fundamentally because the women who are subject to this treatment do not have fertility problems that could weigh down the overall result.
Phases of artificial insemination
PHASE 1
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Both IAC and IAD need an ovarian stimulation protocol to ensure proper development of the follicles that contain the eggs and coordinate the time of insemination with the sperm. For this, a medication that mainly consists of injectable hormones must be administered. The doses are low and the medication is very easy to administer as it is generally subcutaneous (like insulin in diabetic patients). The growth of the ovarian follicles should be monitored through a vaginal ultrasound periodically until an adequate size is reached. This process of medication and control lasts approximately between 10 and 12 days.
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