People considering fertility treatments often focus on in vitro fertilization (IVF). IVF can be highly successful for the right person, but it’s also expensive. Intrauterine insemination (IUI) offers a success rate of 10-20% per cycle. This makes it a highly effective treatment, and one that is much more affordable than IVF. For couples with unexplained infertility and some other fertility issues, it’s a great option. Moreover, because it’s more affordable, most families can pursue several cycles of IUI, increasing the odds of a successful pregnancy without breaking the budget.
If you have dreams of becoming a parent, fertility issues are among the most challenging issues you can face. Thankfully, modern science has advanced quite a bit in recent years, allowing for female infertility to be more accurately tested for and diagnosed than ever before. For couples and individuals alike, the sensitive nature of infertility is certainly an emotional time, and perhaps nothing is more frustrating than a false feeling of success. After months or even years of trying different therapies and medications, some aspiring parents are faced with the brief exhilaration of a positive pregnancy test, only to be dismayed to ultimately discover that their conception journey isn’t quite finished yet.
When you were in school, you were likely taught about the birds and the bees. The facts as they were presented to you were that if a man and a woman engage in sexual intercourse, the woman would get pregnant.
Seeking infertility treatment means learning a whole new vocabulary. You might have heard the term assisted reproductive technology (ART) bandied about, and wondered if it applies to you. Knowing your ART options can help you better understand your own body and weigh various options that may help.
Infertility can feel deeply isolating. Yet at least 6% of women under 44 are unable to get pregnant after a year of trying. You are not alone. Knowing that you are infertile, however, gets you no closer to treating the issue. Infertility is a label, not a diagnosis. Its causes are as diverse as the women who experience this painful experience. The good news is that, with the right diagnosis, a wide range of infertility medications can help you get pregnant and give birth to a healthy baby.
Perhaps the only thing more frustrating than struggling to conceive, is learning there are things we are doing that could be impeding our chances of success. The truth is, no one ever wants to be told what to do. Unfortunately though, when it comes to alcohol and fertility, it’s better to stack the deck in your favor than to risk the gamble of not changing your ways.
A million things can go through your mind when you're about to have, are considering having, or have recently had an intrauterine insemination procedure, also known as an IUI. A few of the questions that you might have included, but aren't limited to:
It can be a very difficult thing when you're having trouble conceiving a child. Many couples have experienced a lot of stress in their relationships over the disappointment of months going by without conception taking place. At some point on your journey of trying to achieve pregnancy, you might wonder if there is anything you can do to better your chances of conceiving.
One in eight couples struggles with infertility. Nearly 12% of women have sought or received services for infertility. Infertility is tragically common. It’s also shrouded in secrecy. Many couples choose to suffer in silence, thanks to cultural stigma and messages about what infertility means. This can make infertility a deeply isolating experience. You might not know what to expect, or might think you don’t know anyone who has walked this lonely road before.
No matter how old you are, if you’re trying to get pregnant, you probably know that age matters. What you may not realize is that age is about more than a single number. There’s no way to predict any person’s fertility based on age alone. Some people remain fertile much longer than others, and individual factors such as lifestyle and overall health matter, too.
