Home Insemination or IUI: What is best for you?
(Source: American Pregnancy Association)
There were a few options my wife and I considered before deciding that IUI was the best one for us. The fact of the matter is that for us it came down to cost, efficiency, and our personal preference on starting a family. My wife and I were pretty much on the same page with how we wanted to have children. She had absolutely no interest in getting pregnant and going through labor (can’t say I blame her, it is not for everyone) and I had always wanted to experience what it was like to be pregnant. Many LGBTQ couples choose the adoption route for many reasons, but I personally really wanted to try to carry a baby. Although we had been saving up for several years, we knew that In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) was out of our reach. Of course, if other attempts at becoming pregnant failed we would have no choice but to try IVF.
This left two options for us: At-home artificial insemination or IUI. I will discuss both options today and why we eventually decided on IUI.
What is At-Home artificial insemination?
Home insemination is exactly what it sounds like: insemination in the comfort of your home. Home insemination includes inserting sperm onto the cervix using a needless syringe. This is a more cost effective way to try to become pregnant. It is, however, important to discuss this option with a doctor before determining if this is right for you. In many cases it is required for your doctor to sign a consent form saying that home insemination is a good choice for you.
When my wife and I first discussed options with the financial advisor at our fertility clinic, they had mentioned that in order for some insurances to help cover the cost of fertility treatment one must “try at home” first. To which I responded with, “We are gay?” Something (science) told me that if we tried we would be unsuccessful. That being said, home insemination is how parents-to-be could meet this requirement. Oh how I wish that had been explained to us before we embarked on this journey. We might not have dismissed home insemination, if we had.
Pros:
More affordable
More intimate
Less invasive
Cons:
Lower success rate than IUI (10-15% success rate vs. 20% for IUI)
No assistance from a medical professional
Higher risk of infection if equipment isn’t properly sterilized
Interested in the Home Insemination process? See the links below.
What is IUI?
(Source: American Pregnancy Association)
According to the American Pregnancy Association, “Intrauterine Insemination (IUI) is a fertility treatment that involves placing sperm inside a woman’s uterus to facilitate fertilization.” IUI allows sperm to bypass the process of having to move from the vaginal canal, through the cervix, and into the uterus. It provides a higher probability of more sperm accessing and fertilizing an egg. The process itself is considered noninvasive and it takes about 15 minutes.
My wife and I mainly chose this as our first option because we did not feel comfortable doing at-home insemination without a medical professional present. We knew we would be worried about handling the sperm specimen ourselves including storing and thawing it properly. We were also concerned that we would perform the procedure incorrectly and what should be a more relaxing experience would turn out to be more stressful.
The Process
IUI is a more extensive process than home insemination. My fertility clinic required that, prior to the first IUI procedure, my wife and I had to have a consultation, complete online modules, and counseling. I had to go in for an internal ultrasound, blood work, and optional (but highly recommended) genetic testing. Once the doctor spoke to me about the results and found that I showed no signs of fertility issues, we were ready for our first round of IUI.
After my wife and I found, purchased and shipped the compatible donor sperm to my fertility clinic, we were ready to begin tracking my cycle. Our doctor informed us that when I reached my peak, or the day I was at my most fertile in my cycle, I needed to call the clinic the same day so that my IUI could be scheduled for the following morning. My doctor recommended the ClearBlue Ovulation Test kit to track for my ovulation day. Please be aware that for some individuals, the test kits do not work so one might be asked to come in for blood work daily to test for your peak. Ovulation begins on day 14 of your cycle (Day 1 being when your period begins) so you will want to begin testing for your peak on day 10.
The day after I peaked, my wife and I went in for the procedure. Sometimes they completed an ultrasound before to measure my follicle. They wanted to see if it was large enough to ovulate (18-22mm in diameter). Then a nurse came in and completed the procedure. The procedure itself takes less than 15 minutes and then they asked me to stay lying down with my hips elevated for 15 minutes before leaving. After that, it is the waiting game (which is torture). You take a pregnancy test two weeks after insemination.
Now if you are unsuccessful the first few times, your doctor might want to try hormone pills such as letrozole or clomid to help increase your number of follicles to ovulate. I was on both; first I tried letrozole for two cycles and then on the last try I took clomid. Be aware that these hormone medications increase your risk of having multiples. It took us a total of four tries and a donor change before we were blessed with our beautiful baby.
Pros:
More affordable than IVF (Cost us approximately $10,000 including the donor sperm, doctor visits, blood work, ultrasounds, genetic testing, 4 inseminations)
Medical Professionals help screen donor sperm and complete the procedure
Higher success rate than home insemination (20% per cycle)
Cons:
More expensive than home insemination
Less intimate
More invasive than home insemination
Interested in the IUI process? See the links below.
References
Editor. (2022, October 6). Donor insemination. American Pregnancy Association. Retrieved March 18, 2023, from https://americanpregnancy.org/getting-pregnant/donor-insemination/
Editor. (2022, June 13). Intrauterine insemination: IUI. American Pregnancy Association. Retrieved March 18, 2023, from https://americanpregnancy.org/getting-pregnant/intrauterine-insemination/
Home insemination with donor sperm: Fairfax Cryobank. Fairfax Cryobank . (2021, July 8). Retrieved March 18, 2023, from https://fairfaxcryobank.com/home-insemination
Parenthood, P. (n.d.). What is intrauterine insemination (IUI)? Planned Parenthood. Retrieved March 18, 2023, from https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/pregnancy/fertility-treatments/what-iui
Comments