Intrauterine Insemination (IUI)

An intrauterine insemination (IUI) cycle begins with a patient receiving a customized dosage of medication timed with her cycle. When ready, Dr. Friberg will trigger ovulation and introduce a specially prepared sperm sample to the patient’s uterus or fallopian tubes transvaginally via catheter.

The purpose of IUI is to increase your chances of fertilization by placing healthy sperm closer to your egg at the specific time in your cycle when you are most fertile.

How IUI Works

1

For our IUI procedures, we usually use an antiestrogen (letrozole/Femara or anastrozole/Arimidex) followed by low-dose gonadotropin or low-dose gonadotropin combined with a luteinizing hormone (LH) antagonist.

2

When the follicles are ready to be released, we induce ovulation with 5 mg of progesterone followed by 5,000 units of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) 12 hours later.

3

3. The following day, before the follicle(s) is released, we do the first insemination.

4

At 24 hours after the first hCG, another 5,000 units of hCG is given.

5

The follicle(s) is expected to be released 40-48 hours after the induction of ovulation.

6

A second insemination is performed approximately 24 hours after the first insemination.

Since the human egg can only be fertilized for a short time, our approach ensures that sperm are available immediately when the egg is released.

What to Expect from IUI

Each IUI process takes approximately 45 minutes to an hour, including prep and recovery. At Friberg Fertility, we have designed a smaller, less invasive catheter than those used by most clinics to provide a more comfortable experience for our patients.

Once the semen has been inserted, the patient can go home, and we will monitor progress from there.