Intrauterine Insemination (IUI)
A low-tech, low-cost first step that places prepared sperm directly into the uterus.
- Low-cost & minimally invasive
- Usually painless, no anaesthesia
- Natural or lightly stimulated cycles
About this treatment
Intrauterine insemination is one of the simplest and most affordable fertility treatments, and is often the first step for couples with mild factors. Around the time of ovulation, a washed and concentrated sperm sample is placed directly into the uterus through a thin, soft catheter — shortening the journey to the egg and increasing the number of healthy sperm that reach it.
The procedure itself takes only a few minutes, is usually painless and needs no anaesthesia. It can be done in a natural cycle or with gentle stimulation and ovulation tracking to time it precisely. A pregnancy test is taken about two weeks later.
IUI works best for mild male-factor or unexplained infertility, ovulation problems, or when donor sperm is used. If a few IUI cycles don't succeed, it's usually the signal to move to IVF.
Who it's for
- Couples beginning fertility treatment
- Mild male-factor infertility
- Unexplained infertility
- Ovulation problems (with timed, stimulated cycles)
- Use of donor sperm
Key benefits
- Simple, quick and the most affordable fertility treatment
- Minimally invasive — usually painless, no recovery time
- A sensible first step before more advanced treatment
- Works in natural or lightly stimulated cycles
Every treatment plan at Shobha IVF is personalised. The details here are a guide — your specialist will tailor each step to your unique situation.
What to expect, step by step
Cycle monitoring
Ultrasound and hormone checks pinpoint ovulation; gentle stimulation may be used.
Sperm preparation
The sample is washed and concentrated to isolate the healthiest, most motile sperm.
Insemination
Prepared sperm is placed into the uterus via a thin catheter — a few minutes, usually painless.
Follow-up
A pregnancy test is taken about two weeks later.
IUI — your questions
Common questions about this treatment. Anything else? Our team is happy to talk it through.
Most pregnancies from IUI happen within the first three to four cycles. If it hasn't worked by then, we'll usually recommend moving to IVF, which has higher per-cycle success.
Most women feel little or nothing — at most some mild, brief cramping similar to a smear test. There's no anaesthesia and you can resume normal activity straight away.
Yes. IUI is commonly used with carefully screened donor sperm, with counselling and full confidentiality.
Related treatments
All treatments
The information on this page is general and educational, and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Fertility outcomes vary from person to person and depend on age, diagnosis and other individual factors; no result is guaranteed. Any success figure shown is a beta-hCG positive (pregnancy-test) rate per embryo transfer at our Solapur centre, which is not a live-birth rate. Please consult our specialists for advice specific to you.