Intrauterine Insemination

Intrauterine insemination (IUI) involves a laboratory procedure to separate fast moving sperm from more sluggish or non-moving sperm. The fast moving sperm are then placed into the woman s womb close to the time of ovulation when the egg is released from the ovary in the middle of the monthly cycle.

Why this technique?

there is unexplained infertility there are ovulation problems the male partner experiences impotence or premature ejaculation you do not have any known fertility problems but may not have a male partner and are trying for a baby using donated sperm.

How does IUI work?

IUI is done between day 12 and day 16 of your monthly cycle. Many clinics will provide you with an ovulation predictor kit to detect the hormone surge that signals imminent ovulation. - or If you use fertility drugs to stimulate ovulation, vaginal ultrasound scans are used to track the development of your eggs. As soon as an egg is mature, you are given a hormone injection to stimulate its release.

 The sperm are inserted 36 to 40 hours later. To do this, the doctor first inserts a speculum (a special instrument that keeps your vaginal walls apart) into your vagina (as for a cervical smear test). A small catheter (a soft, flexible tube) is then threaded into your womb via your cervix. The best quality sperm are selected and inserted through the catheter. The whole process takes just a few minutes and is usually a painless procedure but some women may experience a temporary, menstruallike cramping.

Gamete Intrafallopian Transfer

GIFT is similar to IVF. The woman's ovaries are stimulated to produce more eggs than usual, the eggs are collected, and the man needs to produce sperm (although donor sperm can be used). When egg collection has taken place, two eggs are mixed together with the sperm in a dish.

 The main difference from IVF is that with GIFT the gametes (eggs and sperm) are immediately transferred to the woman's fallopian tubes, so fertilization occurs inside, not outside, the woman's body. The embryo can begin its earliest development in natural surroundings rather than in an artificial environment.

How is GIFT performed?

A woman s ovaries are stimulated with medications to increase the probability of producing multiple eggs. Eggs are collected through an aspiration procedure. Three to four eggs are immediately mixed with approximately 200,000 mobile sperm and placed in a special catheter. The mixture of eggs and sperm are transferred to the woman through a laparoscopic procedure by placing a catheter in the fallopian tube and injecting the egg/sperm mixture. The last step is to watch for early pregnancy symptoms. Your fertility specialist will probably use a blood test to determine if pregnancy has occurred.

 In general, in vitro fertilization (IVF) is preferable for couples with male factor infertility. GIFT is commonly chosen by couples who have failed to conceive after trying at least one year and who have failed five to six cycles of ovarian stimulation with intrauterine insemination.

Zygote Intrafallopian Transfer

ZIFT is an assisted reproductive procedure similar to in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer, the difference being that the fertilized embryo is transferred into the fallopian tube instead of the uterus. Because the fertilized egg is transferred directly into the tubes, the procedure is also referred to as tubal embryo transfer (TET). This procedure can be more successful than gamete intrafallopian transfer (GIFT) because your physician has a greater chance of insuring that the egg is fertilized. The woman must have healthy tubes for ZIFT to work.

 The main difference between ZIFT and GIFT is that ZIFT transfers a fertilized egg directly into the fallopian tubes while GIFT utilizes a mixture of sperm and eggs.

How is ZIFT performed?

A woman s ovaries are stimulated with medications to increase the probability of producing multiple eggs. Eggs are then collected through an aspiration procedure. Those eggs are fertilized in a laboratory in a procedure identical to IVF. The fertilized eggs are then transferred through a laparoscopic procedure where a catheter is placed deep in the fallopian tube and the fertilized eggs injected. The final step is to watch for early pregnancy symptoms. The fertility specialist will probably use a blood test to determine if pregnancy has occurred.