Index
1. What is artificial insemination?
2. Why is it performed?
3. What does it consist of?
4. Preparation for artificial insemination
5. Care after the procedure
6. Alternatives to artificial insemination
What is artificial insemination?
Artificial insemination is an Assisted Reproduction technique. A method of insemination in which the sperm is deposited in the woman’s vagina through mechanical means that replace intercourse. This is performed at a time prior to ovulation.
There are two types of artificial insemination, which are differentiated by the origin of the semen. They are called AIH (artificial insemination with spouse’s sperm) or AID (artificial insemination with donor sperm), respectively. In the first case, the sperm belongs to the partner of the woman who wants to become pregnant and, in the second case, it comes from a sperm bank.
It is one of the most used techniques in Reproductive Medicine.
Why is it performed?
It is performed with the objective of shortening the sperm’s journey to the Fallopian tubes and, therefore, there is a greater probability that more sperm will approach the egg. The objective is to increase the chances of pregnancy in couples who have difficulty conceiving a child. Other reasons for using artificial insemination for infertility are the following:
- Advanced age of the woman.
- Damage or obstruction in the fallopian tubes, caused by pelvic inflammatory disease or previous reproductive surgery.
- Endometriosis.
- Male factor infertility, including decreased sperm count and obstruction.
- Unexplained infertility.
- Women without a partner, heterosexual couples or couples of women.
What does it consist of?
The technique consists of collecting a semen sample that is treated in the laboratory to concentrate the spermatozoa that are separated from the rest of the components (seminal plasma and other cells). The doctor inserts a speculum into the vagina to see the cervix and injects the semen into the uterus. Generally, this procedure is not very painful and is usually accompanied by ovarian stimulation techniques and ovulation control to determine the best time to perform the insemination. After these steps, if the result is positive, a control ultrasound is performed after 20 days to confirm the embryo sac. From this point on, the usual gynecologist will take care of the follow-up.
If the first attempt does not result in pregnancy, it can be repeated every month on a continuous basis, since it is not necessary to rest between cycles.
Preparation for artificial insemination
On the day the insemination is performed, the woman should come to the clinic 30 minutes before the scheduled time, when the sperm sample is frozen (either partner’s or donor’s sperm). If the semen sample is to be fresh, the couple should come to the clinic two hours before the appointment. Before performing the insemination, different tests and analyses will be carried out to corroborate if it can be performed. To begin with, a test for hepatitis C, AIDS, rubella, syphilis or toxoplasmosis is performed. In this way, future infections to the couple or the future baby can be avoided. On the other hand, it is necessary to check the tubal patency of the woman to analyze the state of health of her fallopian tubes. On the other hand, the man may undergo an analysis to determine the Mobile Sperm Count (MSC), this figure must exceed 3 million.
Finally, age is another differentiating factor, since women over 36 years of age are less likely to fertilize than younger women.
Care after the procedure
Once the insemination has been performed, controls must be carried out to check whether it has been successful. If it is successful, the pregnancy will proceed in the same way as a pregnancy without previous treatment. However, a number of problems may arise once the woman has gone through the insemination process. Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome can occur due to ovarian stimulation, although this is not a frequent problem due to the continuous check-ups that are carried out during the ovarian cycles. As a result of this stimulation, there is a higher probability of multiple pregnancy, a risk that clinics try to minimize since more problems may occur compared to a normal pregnancy.
Alternatives to artificial insemination
There are other assisted reproduction techniques such as:
- In vitro fertilization (IVF): consists of the union of the egg with the sperm in a laboratory. Once the eggs are fertilized, they are implanted in the patient’s uterus.
- Intracytoplasmic Injection (ICSI): is a variation of IVF, where a sperm is introduced into the egg. It is performed when the sperm has problems crossing the egg wall and accessing the interior of the egg.
- Ovodonation: if the woman has difficulty in gestation, eggs from an anonymous donor are used and in vitro fertilization is performed with the couple’s or a donor’s sperm.