IUI versus IVF

Intrauterine insemination (IUI) and in vitro fertilization (IVF) are two methods to help women get pregnant. These two methods have big differences.

The most important difference is that IUI is a procedure almost like a natural fertility cycle.  Women uses her own eggs to get pregnant. Donor eggs cannot be used with IUI.  Fertilization also happens naturally.  During IUI procedure highly concentrated and washed sperm are placed inside the uterus with a tiny catheter at the time of ovulation. Also, sperms are little closer to the egg through this process.  Ovulation during an IUI cycle can be performed with medications or without medications.  A great advantage of IUI is that women can use their partner’s sperm or donor sperms.

IVF is an artificial reproduction method utilized today to help couples to conceive. The basic concept of the IVF process includes stimulation of the ovaries to produce multiple eggs at a time, removal of the eggs from the ovary (egg retrieval), fertilization of the eggs in the laboratory, and subsequent placement of the resulting embryos into the uterus (embryo transfer). With IVF Patient can use her own egg or can use an egg donor.  She can use her partner's sperms or can get a sperm donor.  As IVF is an artificial reproduction technique there are many possibilities. IVF pregnancies have a great advantage that an embryo can be tested for genetic abnormalities before embryo transfer.  The chance of pregnancy from IVF depends primarily on the age of the woman, the cause of infertility, and factors related to the quality of the IVF center. CDC publishes success rates for IVF centers.