Artificial Insemination (AI)
At Ovoclinic, we are your artificial insemination clinic.
We want to help you achieve your dreams of building a family. Would you like to know more?
WHAT IS ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION?
Artificial insemination (AI) is a simple assisted reproduction treatment that imitates the process of natural fertilisation. This technique uses a semen sample which can come from the male partner or from an anonymous donor.
To increase the probabilities of pregnancy, the procedure begins with controlled ovarian stimulation, and when the time is correct, a laboratory prepared sperm sample is introduced directly into the uterus, minimizing the distance the sperm must travel to get to the egg.
WHY CHOOSE OVOCLINIC FOR YOUR ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION?
At Ovoclinic, we are your clinic for artificial insemination, with more than 20 years of experience in all types of high complexity assisted reproduction treatments. Making your dream of becoming a mother come true is our priority. Furthermore, with our Pregnancy and Live Birth Guarantee Plans, we can offer you treatment with peace of mind included.
WHO IS IT FOR?
- Couples with mild or moderate sterility problems, with a short time of sterility and woman under 38.
- Single women who want to have a pregnancy and who meet the requirements for this technique.
- Lesbian couples who choose this option and who are suitable for it.
- Heterosexual couples who must use donor sperm due to an insufficient sperm count or being a carrier of a genetic disease not detectable in a PGD.
The probability of pregnancy, depending on the characteristics of the patients and the type of insemination (partner or donor sperm) lies between 15% and 30% for each insemination attempt. One should bear in mind, with this technique, it is not possible to obtain information about embryonic development or their quality.
If pregnancy is not achieved after three cycles of artificial insemination, it is recommended to try using in vitro fertilisation.
STEPS OF THE TREATMENT WITH ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION (AI)
During this first stage, the ovaries are stimulated with hormonal stimulation to control ovulation, with the aim of preparing the maternal uterus to increase the possibilities of becoming pregnant.
This stage takes approximately 8 days.
In the second phase, the selected semen are introduced into the uterus of the future mother.
Around 14 or 15 days after the artificial insemination, a pregnancy test should be performed to check if the treatment is successful.
Once the eggs have reached the required stage of maturation, the insemination will be programmed.
With regards to the sperm, these can be obtained from the male partner or from a sperm bank (via anonymous donor). To increase the probabilities of success, the sperm sample will undergo previous laboratory preparation to discard any sperm which are not alive or have problems with motility.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
HOW MUCH DOES ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION COST?
An artificial insemination varies between €400 and €1000 depending on the individual case. If you opt for artificial insemination with partner sperm the price is lower than if you are using donor sperm, which increases the price.
At Ovoclinic we listen, and treat each case individually. Contact our team for more information on this matter.
WHAT IS THE SUCCESS RATE FOR ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION?
The probability of becoming pregnant from an artificial insemination procedure is between 15 – 30%. Additionally, this percentage is accumulative with the more attempts that you make.
HOW LONG DOES THE PROCESS OF ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION TAKE?
The total duration of this fertility treatment is approximately two months (one monthly cycle with contraception, two weeks of ovarian stimulation, one day for the insemination procedure followed by the two week wait for the pregnancy test).
Is it possible to do artificial insemination in a natural cycle?
Yes, it is possible to do in a natural cycle. in this case, medication is not administered to stimulate the ovaries and we are simply doing ultrasounds to control ovulation. However, the possibility of pregnancy with this method will be lower than if we perform an ovarian stimulation, so it is only recommended in women with a very good prognosis.
What are the risks of having a twin pregnancy with artificial insemination?
In artificial insemination the ovary is stimulated normally seeing the growth of between 1 and 3 follicles. as long as there is more than one egg, there will be a risk of having a multiple pregnancy, although the possibility following these guidelines is around 8% of twins. if the patient does not want to take this risk under any circumstances, it is possible to do artificial insemination with a very low dose so that a single follicle grows, or even in a natural cycle, although it must be assumed that this will decrease the chances of pregnancy.
What requirements must be met in order to attempt artificial insemination?
In general, this technique is reserved for young women, maximum 37 years old. in the case of same-sex couples or single women, who are going to use donor sperm, it may be reasonable to try until 38 or 39 years.
Apart from this, it is necessary to check that the woman has a good ovarian reserve, to rule out pathologies such as endometriosis and in many cases to check that there is tubal patency (by means of hysterosalpingogram or hysterosonogram).
In case of artificial insemination with partner sperm, it is recommended to attempt only in cases of couples with a short time of sterility and in which the man has a motile sperm count (rem) above 5 million / ml.
What are hysterosalpingography and hysterosonography?
Both tests mainly assess whether the fallopian tubes are patent, so that eggs and sperm can travel through them to meet and fertilize.
The main difference between one and the other is that hysterosalpingogram is done using x-ray and hysterosonogram is done using ultrasound. in both, a liquid is introduced through the cervix and it is a matter of looking at the morphology of the uterine cavity and if this liquid travels through the tubes, showing that they are patent.
In recent years, a specific contrast has been developed for ultrasound, so that it can be easily seen if this contrast passes through the tubes. this technique is called hycosy and is currently the most recommended.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN IN VITRO FERTILISATION AND ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION?
In artificial insemination the sperm sample is placed directly into the uterus, to achieve fertilisation within the maternal body. In contrast, with in vitro fertilisation, the fertilisation step is performed outside the body, in the laboratory, known as in vitro.
WHY CAN AN ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION FAIL?
The reasons can be diverse, but generally it is due to low sperm quality or severe fertility problems. As it is a technique that imitates the natural process of fertilisation, if it fails two or three times consecutively, it is recommended to start a treatment of in vitro fertilisation (ICSI), which has greater success rates.
WHY IS ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION A LESS PRECISE TECHNIQUE?
In contrast to ICSO, the technique of artificial insemination does not give us any information about the fertilised eggs or the quality of any possible embryos. Once the sperm is placed into the uterine cavity, we do not have any more information.