Insemination: Treatment, Cost and Side Effects

Couples may often be unable to achieve or sustain pregnancies naturally. This may be due to low sperm count in the male partner or some other reasons. In such a case, partners often opt for a treatment known as insemination or artificial insemination. In this method, the male partner’s sperm sample is artificially introduced into the women partner’s egg, in order to fertilize it. However, if the male partner is infertile or if there is no male partner (in case of a single woman), doctors will inseminate the woman with the sperm sample from a donor.

Insemination can be performed through various methods, but the intrauterine insemination or IUI procedure is the most dependable. Mostly, couples, who may be able to produce healthy eggs and sperms, but are unable to have intercourse, use this treatment.

Insemination is divided into four parts, namely, intrauterine insemination, intrauterine tuboperitoneal insemination, intracervical insemination and intratubal insemination. However, the intrauterine insemination or IUI is the most dependable and commonly used procedure for insemination.

If the male partner’s sperm cannot be used, doctors will take the sperm from a donor. In such a case, a sample will be chosen from the sperm bank and thawed out after removal the refrigeration unit. The cryprotectant mixed with the sperm sample, will help thaw it out. The sample is then cleared off any impurities that can adversely affect the fertilization process.

In case of the IUI procedure, a catheter tube is used to inject the sperm sample inside the woman’s uterus. This is usually done a couple of weeks after the woman undergoes her monthly period, which is also the time when she ovulates and is at the most fertile state. Such a timeline is followed to increase the overall chances of fertilization.

This entire process of insemination is known as a cycle of the treatment. Usually, a person woman may need to undergo anywhere between 3-5 cycles of the same in order to have the maximum chance of conceiving.

Insemination is a viable treatment for any woman who has been experiencing difficulty conceiving a pregnancy. If a couple have been actively and unsuccessfully trying to get pregnant for a year or more, they may opt for artificial insemination. Furthermore, a single woman looking to get pregnant may also opt for the same procedure and conceive using the sperm sample from a donor.

If the difficulty conceiving is due to the fact that the woman has infertility issues, then insemination alone will not be able to rectify the problem. In such a case, the woman may need to undergo treatment procedures for infertility.

Furthermore, if pregnancy can be achieved naturally, artificial insemination will not be required and such people do not qualify for the treatment.

Insemination does involve certain risks, which include multiple births. This only occurs when the insemination is performed at the same time as taking fertility medication. A birth of twins or triplets drastically increases the risk of congenital diseases in the children.

Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome or OHSS is another side effect that may affect some women undergoing the insemination procedure. In this disorder, the ovaries swell up. It only occurs in case of IUI procedure. Even though the disease is mostly mild, it can sometimes lead to severe complications.

If the treatment is successful, the woman will need to follow the same precautions and quality of life that is expected from pregnant people. For instance, after the treatment, women should stop drinking completely and should also avoid smoking. Furthermore, women should also follow a proper diet plan after consulting with a nutritionist.

Each cycle for the insemination will cost anywhere between Rs. 15,000 to Rs. 20,000. However, the entire cost of the treatment varies from one person to the next, depending on the number of cycle required, in order for successful fertilization.

If pregnancy is achieved, the insemination treatment is considered to be a success. However, even in case of successful pregnancies, sustaining it properly can be a challenge. There is always a chance that the pregnancy may get terminated due to complications.

People who do not want to opt for artificial insemination can try out in-vitro fertilization. In this procedure a woman’s egg is extracted from the body and fertilized with a sperm sample in a lab. Once the egg is fertilized, it is once again implanted inside the woman’s womb, where it starts to develop like any normal pregnancy would.