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What Is The Difference Between IUI And IVF?

By Kalyani Sakharkar

IUI (intrauterine insemination) and IVF (in vitro fertilization) are the two most popularly used fertility treatments today to increase the chances of conceiving. Are you facing fertility issues?

Don't worry, every fertility problem has one or the other kinds of treatment in the modern medical technologies. Whenever you consult a doctor regarding fertility challenges, he/she may suggest you go through IUI and IVF.

what is the difference between IUI and IVF

Both these terms are related to reproductive terminologies and the treatment is completely different. Want to know how they differ from each other? Which is best suited for you? What are their benefits over each other? Then, you are on the right page, go on reading...

IUI Procedure:

IUI is a treatment to cure infertility in couples. This is one of the medically developed artificial methods that can help you conceive. It is more often resorted for initial fertility treatments. In IUI, as the name suggests here, the concentrated motile sperms are inserted directly into a woman's uterus. The procedure is usually performed when the male partner has weaker sperms.

Here are the steps followed in IUI procedure

1. A technique called "Washing" is initially followed to process the sperms. This technique removes the dead and slow sperms and creates highly concentrated motility sperms. These sperms increase the chances of conception.

2. This procedure is done during the ovulation period and may be performed one to two times in those days immediately after the ovulation has started.

3. The good sperms are directly inserted into the cervix of women. The injection is given directly after the ovulation period, as a woman's egg goes into the fallopian tube. The chances of high-quality sperm meeting the eggs are higher now.

4. The best time to insert sperms into a woman is immediately before her periods or right after it ends.

5. Doctors may also provide you oral medicines during the process to increase the chances of conceiving.

Here are the steps followed in IVF Procedure

One of the most popular infertility treatments is IVF. You might have heard this term so many times, but who exactly is the treatment for? How can you get it done? Will it be suitable for you? Well, here is some information on IVF that can help you get a better insight.

The process includes collecting good sperms and egg from men and women and fertilizing it in vitro, i.e., outside the uterus. This process is more expensive than IUI. Here is how it is done,

1. The process begins with the stimulation of ovaries to produce multiple eggs at a time.

2. Retrieval of eggs is done by removing the eggs from the ovaries.

3. Prior to fertilization, the partner or the donor has to give the sperm samples. Fertilization of eggs takes place in a laboratory.

4. The fertilized eggs are then cultured in the IVF laboratory for 3-5 days, until they form embryos (the cells of the egg start to divide and multiply).

5. The resulting embryos are then transferred to the woman's uterus. This treatment is generally performed when there is an issue with the female reproductive system.

Benefits of IUI and IVF

1) IVF is the most expensive fertility treatment compared to IUI. IUI is cost effective and the cycle might cost only around 3000 rupees in some clinics.

2) IVF is the most successful fertility treatment compared to IUI.

3) The process followed in IVF is more complex and time-consuming than the IUI process.

4) The procedure followed in IVF is more painful for women than the IUI process.

6) Usually, IUI success rate is between 5% and 20%. The chances of conceiving will be more when you get IUI along with some fertility drugs.

The chances of getting pregnant in IVF are based on factors associated with quality of IVF laboratory, the age of the women and infertility causes.

7) IUI involves only one injection and a few medications to make a woman conceive, whereas IVF requires women to take multiple injections in a period of 8-12 days.

Both these methods have their own procedures. Although treatment is offered through both these fertility procedures, one of the methods may be suitable for you and not the other. It depends on several factors like age, sperm strength, infertility causes, etc. So it's always better to consult your physician to discuss and decide which is convenient and suitable for you.

What Happens Before The Treatments?

1. A thorough check-up is carried out to check a female's levels of hormones and the quality of sperm in men.

2. Menstrual cycle is monitored, ultrasounds may be carried out to check the development of follicles into eggs.

3. Hormones may be administered to make your eggs grow and mature and eventually ovulate.

4. Depending on what procedure you are going to carry out, you may be either inseminated with sperms or your eggs may be removed to fertilise in a laboratory.

After the procedure of implanting the embryo (IVF) or inseminating (IUI) it is carried out, you are asked to wait a few weeks for the result and success of the test is declared. During this time, try to lead a normal life and do not stress about it a lot. Hope for the best and prepare yourself for trying more if the results are negative.

This information is just for a brief overview of the procedures and how it is done. We hope this helps you in clearing your mind of the doubts and queries. For in-depth analysis, consult a medical professional. We hope you liked this information.

Do share with us your experiences if you have undergone similar treatments, it can help out our other readers.

Have a great day!

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