In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) and Intrauterine Insemination (IUI)
There are two most common infertility treatments available while one is planning for pregnancy. There is intrauterine insemination (IUI) and in vitro fertilization (IVF). Though objected towards the same goal, these treatments are of a different approach and can act as a substitute for the other.
IUI, though being a cost-effective method, is often backed by the requirement of multiple cycles and also the chances of conceiving are around 15%-20% lesser as compared to IVF where it goes up to 40%-50%, even if you go for multiple rounds of IUI has less success. No matter if it’s your first or third attempt of IUI, an unsuccessful fertility treatment cycle is always discouraging and that can be very disappointing. There is a lot of investments of not just money, but emotions, time, and hopes as well. In such cases, where IUI gets failed, IVF can come to your rescue.
The key procedures of the IVF process include stimulation of the ovaries to create multiple eggs at a time followed by egg retrieval i.e. removal of the eggs from the ovary and fertilization of these eggs in the laboratory and subsequently placing of the final good quality embryos into the uterus, also called as embryo transfer. Additionally, the chances of pregnancy from IVF procedures primarily depend on the age of the woman, their particular diagnosis, the actual causes of infertility, individual medical history of both the partners and also various factors related to the quality of the IVF laboratory. An IVF cycle is much more expensive than the IUI cycle, however, it may be worthwhile for some patients as IVF provides significantly higher success rates, which is even backed by general statistics used for comparison.
Hence, we may even say that pursuing IVF after three cycles of IUI is always beneficial for the women for their both emotional well-being and also with respect to the costs.
Emotional well-being: We are sure that if you are a woman undergoing IUI, every treatment cycle that you perform and if it fails, it takes a really bad toll on the mental health of both parents. Hence, as the per-cycle success rate is higher for IVF than IUI, moving straight on to IVF is advised in some special cases where chances of pregnancy with IUI are very less.
Cost: Though IUI is less expensive than IVF, but due to the multiple rounds of the cycle and the number of fertility drugs required to stimulate ovulation, the costs can go up collectively. Hence, it’s better to opt for IVF after the 3rd attempt (max) and save the cost in the long run.
Thus, whether you plan to do IUI or IVF, let the decision should be made in collaboration between you, your partner, and the doctor. No matter what you choose, one should be positive and always consult your doctor for any kind of treatment accordingly. Forget all the things that it won’t work, but believe the one thing that will work.
