Insemination is a procedure that places washed sperm into the uterus using a small flexible tube attached to a syringe. An intrauterine insemination (IUI) is done after a sperm wash removes prostaglandin, bacteria and unwanted debris from the collected sperm. The washed sperm are placed directly into the uterus, closer to the ovulated egg.

Insemination may be helpful for sperm counts in the mildly lower than normal range. Also insemination can be helpful for couples who find it difficult to have sexual intercourse on the most fertile days of the menstrual cycle.

For couples in which the man has some mild sperm problems, insemination may help. However, the sperm count must exceed 5 million normal moving sperm to improve chances of fertilization. Once washed, the sperm can be placed directly into the uterus, intrauterine insemination (IUI), to improve your chances of conception. Patients with decreased sperm count, decreased motility and problems with sexual intercourse can benefit from this procedure.

Very infrequently, a patient can have cramping, infection, or an allergic reaction to the liquid used in the sperm washing.

Each medical center will have its own directions for scheduling an insemination. In certain cases, your doctor may schedule the insemination after performing a mid-cycle ultrasound.

In these cases, you will not need an ovulation predictor kit. If ovulation is being triggered by an injection of hCG, your insemination will be scheduled approximately 34-44 hours after the shot is given.

A urine ovulation predictor kit (e.g.; Ovuquick™, Conceive™, Assure™, EZ-LH™ or ClearPlan Easy™ ) is usually used to time insemination. Please make sure that you follow the directions on the box to understand exactly how to use your ovulation predictor kit. Remember, when using an ovulation predictor kit, do not use your first morning urine.

State regulations require specific blood tests for the male and a number of consent forms to be signed before insemination can be started.

California law now requires that all males providing sperm for insemination be tested for the following diseases: HIV, Hepatitis B and C, Human T Lymphotropic virus-1 (HTLV-1) and Syphilis. The infertility clinic must have these results before an insemination is performed.

Insemination may be performed with any positive results, except HIV and HTLV-1, with the consent of the woman. The state law prohibits insemination with sperm from men who have positive tests for HIV or HTLV-1.

There is no law requiring any blood test for the woman.

There are three consent forms for most couples. The state law requires that couples sign a consent form for Kaiser Permanente to perform the insemination. The law also requires the man to sign a form that describes how the sperm will be used. There is also a form that waives a woman’s right to have these tests done on her husband before every insemination. If you are in a stable relationship with a single partner, one-time testing is sufficient.

Please be aware that the state law does not allow insemination to be performed without the signed consent forms and results of the male blood tests in the medical record.

For women having frozen donor insemination, a single consent form for IUI is all that is needed. The other forms are completed at the sperm bank.

We recommend that you abstain from sexual activity 24-48 hours prior to semen collection in order to get the best sperm count.

You will be asked to bring your specimen to the clinic at a specific time. Please be prompt. The specimen must be prepared for insemination by a special procedure called sperm washing, which takes approximately 2 hours. The sperm washing procedure removes seminal fluid, prostaglandin, bacteria and protease from the sperm.

You or your partner may bring in the specimen at the designated time. Please give your labeled specimen container in a labeled bag to the receptionist.

Insemination is recommended for patients with a mildly low sperm count, low motility, and other sperm abnormalities. Because there are many state regulations addressing inseminations, it is important to have all of your questions answered before the day of your first insemination.