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Who IUI is for

Intrauterine insemination (IUI) is the simplest and least invasive fertility treatment, often the first step before considering IVF. Prepared sperm is placed directly into the uterus around the time of ovulation, shortening the journey sperm has to make. It suits couples with mild or unexplained infertility, mild male-factor issues, problems with cervical mucus, or single women and same-sex couples using donor sperm.

IUI is less suitable when there is a significant problem — blocked fallopian tubes, severe male-factor infertility, or advanced maternal age — because its success rates per cycle are modest and fall with age. In those situations, going straight to IVF is often the more time-efficient and ultimately cheaper route, since repeated low-yield IUI cycles can delay an effective treatment.

How an IUI cycle works

A cycle can be done in a natural or a lightly stimulated form. In a natural cycle, ovulation is tracked with ultrasound and hormone tests, and insemination is timed to it. More often, mild stimulation with tablets or low-dose injections is used to encourage one or two follicles, improving the odds while keeping the risk of multiples low.

On the day of insemination, a sperm sample — from a partner or a donor — is washed and concentrated in the lab to select the most motile sperm. A thin, soft catheter then places the sample directly into the uterus in a quick, usually painless procedure that needs no sedation. A pregnancy test follows about two weeks later. The whole process is far simpler than IVF, with no egg collection and minimal medication.

What IUI costs

IUI is the most affordable fertility treatment by a wide margin, typically costing in the low hundreds of euros per cycle, sometimes less. The price usually covers monitoring, sperm preparation and the insemination itself. If donor sperm is used, the cost of the donor sample is added; if mild stimulation is used, the medication adds a modest amount.

Because each cycle has a relatively low chance of success, the realistic question is the cost of a course of treatment — most clinics suggest trying around three to six cycles before reconsidering. Weigh the total cost of several IUI attempts against a single IVF cycle, because for some patients moving to IVF sooner is both faster and better value.

Choosing a clinic

IUI is technically straightforward, so clinic choice is less about lab sophistication and more about good monitoring, honest counselling and clean sperm-preparation standards. Still, look for a properly accredited clinic — JCI or equivalent — with a board-certified reproductive specialist and a licensed andrology lab, especially where donor sperm is involved.

The most valuable thing a clinic offers here is candour: a realistic estimate of your per-cycle chance, a clear plan for how many cycles to try, and a sensible threshold for switching to IVF. Be cautious of any clinic that pushes many repeated IUI cycles when your diagnosis suggests a low chance of success, as this can waste time that matters.

Recovery and timeline

IUI fits easily around normal life. The insemination takes only a few minutes, needs no anaesthesia, and you can usually walk out and resume your day almost immediately, perhaps with brief mild cramping. There is no recovery period in any meaningful sense.

The cycle as a whole spans the natural menstrual month: a few monitoring visits in the first half, insemination around ovulation, and a wait of about two weeks for a pregnancy test. Because so little is required on the day, IUI is one of the easiest treatments to coordinate, though if you travel for it you will still need timing flexibility, since ovulation cannot be scheduled to the day.

Risks and when to move on

IUI is very low-risk. The main consideration is the small chance of a multiple pregnancy when stimulation is used, which careful monitoring keeps low by limiting the number of mature follicles. Mild stimulation also carries a small OHSS risk, far lower than in IVF. The procedure itself rarely causes more than transient cramping or light spotting.

The more important issue is knowing when to stop. Success rates do not improve much with repeated cycles beyond a point, so if several well-timed IUI attempts have not worked, a good clinic will recommend reassessing rather than continuing indefinitely. Treat IUI as a sensible first try, not an endless one, and agree the switch-to-IVF threshold with your doctor before you begin.

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