Two of the most common fertility treatments are intrauterine insemination (IUI) and in vitro fertilization (IVF). If you're having trouble conceiving naturally, you may be considering fertility treatment options. Of course, you probably have some questions about what each of these treatments can do and how they differ. At the Center for Reproductive Medicine, we can guide you through the differences between IUI and IVF procedures, helping you decide which option is best for you.

The procedure of intrauterine insemination (IUI)

During an IUI (or artificial insemination) procedure, the prospective father's sperm is inserted once or twice into the prospective mother's or surrogate's uterus in the days following her ovulation. By injecting the sperm directly into the uterus, IUI increases the chances that the sperm and egg will meet to create a fertilized embryo. Using higher concentrations of quality sperm also increases the chance of successful conception and pregnancy.

Advantages and disadvantages of IUI

IUIs are often chosen because they are less time-consuming and usually less expensive than IVF. During the IUI procedure, the sperm of the male partner (or a donor) is inserted directly into the uterus. The process coincides with the ovulation of the female partner. Intrauterine insemination is usually recommended for women under the age of 35, as women of this age have a higher success rate than those over 35. Women aged 40 and over have the lowest success rate with IUI, with just a 5% chance. It is also important to note that because IUI can be combined with the use of fertility drugs to stimulate the ovaries, the possibility of multiple births (twins or more) is greater. Often, women opt for two to three cycles of IUI before attempting IVF if IUIs are unsuccessful.

The process of in vitro fertilization (IVF)

IVF is one of the most popular and successful methods of treating infertility. As mentioned earlier, if three or more rounds of IVF fail, a trial of IVF is recommended. With this method, fertility drugs are used to stimulate the ovaries, which stimulate the production of more than one egg at a time. Once mature, the eggs are retrieved and fertilized with sperm in the laboratory. The resulting embryos are then transferred to the uterus. Once this embryo transfer process is complete, the embryos can attach to the uterine wall, resulting in pregnancy.

Why prospective parents choose IVF

In general, IVF has higher success rates. It is the most appropriate method for women over 40 years old. In addition, IVF gives the fertility specialist and the intended parents more control over the number of embryos transferred to the uterus, which reduces the risk of multiple births. However, IVF requires more fertility drugs and has a higher associated cost. The IVF process is more expensive than IVF, so consultation with your fertility specialist given your unique source of infertility will be necessary to determine if IVF or IUI is right for you.

How to decide between IUI AND IVF?

The best way to determine if IUI or IVF is right for you is to consult with an experienced fertility specialist. Ultimately, you may know the right decision for you, but experts can provide recommendations based on your age, health, and the cause of your infertility. Typically, younger couples see more success with IUI, so they may be better candidates. However, if fertilization is not successful and multiple rounds of IUI are required, this option can become expensive. For this reason, it is important to weigh the costs, benefits and risks before making your decision.

Find out which fertility treatment is right for you

If you've been trying to conceive for more than a year without success, it might be time to talk to a fertility specialist. Contact our center to schedule a consultation to learn more about the differences between IUI and IVF fertility treatments.