UF Health Reproductive Medicine: Intrauterine Insemination

Intrauterine insemination (IUI) or involves processing of the semen sample in the laboratory, then gently placing a soft, thin flexible plastic catheter through the cervix to deposit processed sperm directly into the uterine cavity.

This treatment done with the husband’s sperm or donor sperm can be done during a natural cycle or during a stimulated cycle. Your doctor will inform you about the quality of the sperm sample and discuss with you if IUI would be of benefit to you.

Using Donor Sperm

Donor sperm may be the only option to conceive for some women or couples. Donor sperm may be requested by single females or by same sex couples for either IUI or IVF. Nationally recognized and FDA approved sperm banks are utilized by the involved parties to purchase frozen semen samples to be shipped with an overnight courier service to our laboratory facilities at UF Health Women’s Center - Springhill for IUI and IVF.

Ovulation induction can be used for restoration of normal ovulation in women with chronic anovulation or it can be used to enhance pregnancy rates in ovulatory women with various infertility factors.

For the latter, the term “superovulation” is often used since the goal is to stimulate more than one mature follicle or egg. Superovulation is often combined with intrauterine insemination in unexplained infertility or in infertility associated with endometriosis or male infertility.