IVF, ICSI, and IUI
If you’re starting to explore fertility treatment, you may quickly come across three popular terms: IUI, IVF and ICSI.
While they are all fertility treatments, they work in different ways and are recommended for different circumstances.
The important thing to understand is that there isn’t one treatment that is automatically “best”.
At Waterstone Clinic, treatment recommendations are based on your individual assessments, including your fertility history, age, hormone test results, ultrasound scan findings, semen testing for male patients, previous treatments and what we learn during your consultation. Sometimes IVF may be recommended. Sometimes IUI or another approach may be more appropriate. And sometimes fertility treatment isn’t the first step at all.
Here’s how the main options differ.
What is IUI?
IUI stands for intrauterine insemination.
It is a relatively simple fertility treatment that works alongside the natural reproductive process.
Prepared or purified sperm is placed directly into the uterus around the time of ovulation, reducing the distance sperm needs to travel to reach the egg. This procedure feels a bit like a smear test.
Compared with IVF, IUI involves a lower level of follicle-stimulating medication and monitoring. It is a treatment that gently assists the natural cycle.
The main stages include:
- Ovarian stimulation withvery lowdoses of follicle-stimulating hormone
- Monitoring scans with the aim of 1 or 2 mature follicles
- Trigger injection to time ovulation
- Semen sample prepared in the laboratory in the hours before the IUI procedure
- IUI procedure and advice
- Pregnancy test
Whether IUI is appropriate depends on your individual circumstances and fertility assessment.
Your fertility specialist will consider factors such as your reproductive health, test results and the reason you are seeking fertility treatment before recommending an approach.