ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION is one of the last resorts for those couples, where the problem lies primarily with the male partner and no other solutions or medical treatment seems to be effective. It is often preferable in those couples, where age of female partner is also a factor, making time an important commodity.

WHAT IS ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION ?

Artificial insemination means artificially injecting semen or sperms in the female partners' reproductive organs.

WHAT ARE THE TYPES OF ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION ?

It can be of several types depending upon the procedure, source of sperms and place of fertilization.

(i) INTRACERVICAL INSEMINATION (ICI): It is the simplest method whereby the semen is injected high in the cervix, using a needle less syringe of around 20mm. It is an artificial procedure that most closely resembles the natural injection. The female partner is made to lie on the back with the feet up, and the semen is injected with the syringe. The female may have to lie down in the same position for around 30 minutes.

(ii) INTRAUTERINE INSEMINATION (IUI): It involves injection of 'washed' sperms from freshly collected semen or sperms taken out from a sperm bank, which is injected directly in to the uterus. The semen cannot be directly injected in to the uterus because the prostaglandins present in the semen can cause cramps. Unlike ICI, IUI has to be done by a medical expert.

(iii) INTRATUBAL INSEMINATION (ITI): This refers to injection of sperms in the fallopian tube. But it offers no benefit over IUI, and is not recommended except in very limited circumstances.

(iv) GAMETE INTRAFALLOPIAN TRANSFER (GIFT): It involves mixing of ovum and sperm outside the body and then depositing the mix in fallopian tube where fertilization takes place.

(v) IN VITRO FERTILIZATION (IVF): This involves fertilization outside the body after which the fertilized ovum is directly implanted in uterus. This is much more complex procedure that involves getting the ovum from the female, which is not required in ICI and IUI.

(vi) INTRA CYTOPLAMSIC SPERM INJECTION (ICSI): This is a procedure involving injection of the sperm in the female ovum using micro-equipment. It allows in-vitro fertilization to be achieved even with very few sperms. Usually the sperm for ICSI is taken from the testes. Thus it is an even more complicated procedure.

WHICH IS THE BEST FOR YOU ?

For those who are willing to use donated sperms, and are constrained by the budget

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