Artificial Insemination 🎯🥚
Artificial insemination (AI) is a cornerstone of fertility treatment, offering a straightforward, low-tech option for overcoming certain causes of infertility. The most common technique, Intrauterine Insemination (IUI), involves placing prepared semen directly into the uterus near the time of ovulation. The procedural success is highly dependent on effective timing, often requiring controlled ovarian hyperstimulation using medications to maximize the number of mature eggs released. Recent advancements focus primarily on improving sperm preparation techniques, utilizing density gradient centrifugation or swim-up methods to isolate the most motile, morphologically normal sperm free from seminal plasma and debris, thereby enhancing the quality of the sample used for the procedure.
While IUI is less invasive and less costly than more complex assisted reproductive technologies, it requires the woman to have at least one open fallopian tube. The discussion point should revolve around optimizing patient selection criteria and comparing IUI's efficacy and cost-effectiveness against other technologies, particularly for couples with unexplained infertility or mild male factor issues, to ensure appropriate triage in fertility care pathways.