What is the difference between IVF and IUI?
Infertility is no longer an untreatable condition. Several innovative procedures have given hope of parenthood to infertile couples. However, even the field of reproductive medicine is not exempt from stereotypes and misinterpretations. Most certainly, when the concept of ‘test-tube’ babies is raised, you are likely to think of Invitro fertilisation. Nonetheless, the dynamic assisted reproductive techniques (ART) are not restricted to IVF.
In this article, Dr Pankaj Talwar, a leading infertility treatment specialist, talks about the difference between IVF and IUI. Dr Talwar can be consulted at Birla Fertility & IVF, the best hospital for IVF in Gurgaon.
Before we get an understanding of the distinction between IVF and IUI, let us learn what these techniques are all about.
What is IVF?
IVF stands for In vitro fertilisation. It is an advanced reproductive procedure to produce healthy embryos in a laboratory.
In IVF, the fertility specialist retrieves mature eggs from the ovaries of the biological mother. Simultaneously, the to-be father’s semen is collected and analysed at the lab. The fertility expert washes and concentrates the seminal fluid to retrieve healthy sperm cells.
The woman’s eggs and the man’s sperm are fertilised in a petri-dish at a lab. The environment of the laboratory is carefully monitored to achieve fertilisation.
The process completes and results in the formation of embryos. The fertility specialist, then, transfers the healthy embryos into the uterus of the expectant mother. IVF is an ideal procedure for women with infertility issues.
Visit Birla Fertility & IVF, the best hospital for IVF in Gurgaon, to learn more about In vitro fertilisation.
What is IUI?
IUI stands for Intrauterine insemination. The objective of IUI is to enhance the chances of natural conception in couples living with sub-fertility.
In IUI, the fertility medical experts collect the intended father’s or donor’s seminal fluid. The semen is washed and concentrated carefully at the lab. This is done to retrieve sperm cells with high-motility.
The retrieved sperm is then placed in the uterine cavity of the expecting mother. The process of placing the sperm so close to the uterus increases the chance of fertilisation by reducing the passage of sperm to the fallopian tubes.
You can learn more about the advantages of IUI at Birla Fertility & IVF, the best hospital for IVF in Gurgaon.
How is IVF different from IUI?
The primary difference between IVF and IUI is the place where fertilisation occurs.
In IVF, the fertilisation of a sperm and egg happens in a petri-dish in a laboratory. The embryos are formed outside the uterus of the to-be mother’s body. The resulting embryos are, then, implanted in the uterine lining of the female partner. While in IUI, the process of fertilisation takes places inside the uterus. In this procedure, the sperm is implanted near the uterine lining to boost fertilisation.
The goals of both procedures are also widely different. IVF is aimed at achieving pregnancy while the fundamental aim of IUI is to boost the chances of pregnancy.
A highlighting distinction also lies in whom are indicated these procedures.
IVF is indicated when:
- A woman suffers from ovulatory disorders
- There is a blockage in the fallopian tubes
- A man has a low sperm count
- A woman is living with endometriosis
IUI is indicated when:
- A woman has irregular ovulation; by tracking the fertile window, one can enhance the likelihood of pregnancy
- The male partner has ejaculatory dysfunction
- A man has low-sperm concentration or mortality
Only a proficient fertility specialist can help make the judgment of which procedure is suitable to whom.
A wide range of fertility treatments is available besides IVF and IUI. Visit Birla Fertility & IVF, the best hospital for IVF in Gurgaon, to learn more about these procedures.