IVF and artificial insemination, what's the difference?

You and your partner have had their health checked and have undergone any treatment to increase fertility. However, unfortunately, your pregnancy program has not worked. Finally, you intend to join the IVF program. However, there is also what is called artificial insemination. What is the difference between IVF and artificial insemination? Check out the following reviews.

The difference between IVF and artificial insemination from the process

Artificial insemination process

Artificial insemination, also called intrauterine insemination (IUI) as reported by the Mayo Clinic, is a procedure in which the sperm from a man's semen is washed to put the best concentration of all sperm into the catheter. This catheter is then inserted through the cervix to go directly to the uterus where the sperm will be stored. After that, the sperm will automatically find a way to reach the fallopian tube and find an egg to fertilize.

This procedure can only be performed on women with open fallopian tubes, and is usually combined with some form of uterine stimulation, such as injectable gonadotropins . It is a kind of medical preparation of hormones produced by the brain to stimulate the uterus to prepare its eggs for release.

IVF process

In vitro fertilization (IVF) or so-called IVF, is a process in which the ovaries are stimulated to produce many eggs which are then extracted from the uterus through suction. This procedure is performed under general anesthesia.

The eggs and sperm are then placed in a special dish to allow fertilization to occur, and are incubated for 3-5 days. This is the most obvious difference between these two processes. In artificial insemination, fertilization still occurs in the mother's body while in IVF, fertilization is carried out in the laboratory.

Some of the resulting embryos are then placed in a catheter and stored back in the mother's womb with the remaining frozen embryos.

Which one is the most suitable for you?

Artificial insemination

This treatment can be used to treat some cases of infertility with unknown causes and cases of low sperm count. Although the success rate of pregnancy with the artificial insemination technique is not as high as other techniques, it has the advantage of being inexpensive and low in side effects.

Artificial insemination is also a short and relatively painless procedure. Before performing the artificial insemination procedure, the doctor will examine the reproductive organs and fertility of each partner. This is to find out what are the possible obstacles to pregnancy naturally.

Test-tube baby

Generally, IVF procedures performed after drug consumption, surgery, or artificial insemination have not been able to solve the problem of infertility.

IVF is usually performed by women with blocked fallopian tubes, advanced reproductive age, men with low sperm counts, or unexplained infertility. Embryo chromosomes can also be evaluated through a separate procedure called pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) to assess whether an embryo has genetic abnormalities such as Down's syndrome.

Which is the safest and most effective way to produce a pregnancy?

Although the IVF program is more expensive than artificial insemination, the technology used is now increasingly sophisticated, increasing the likelihood of success.

However, the process of IVF has risks that must be considered by married couples. One risk is that during the egg collection procedure, there may be infection, bleeding, or interference with the intestines or other organs.

There is also a risk from the drugs used to stimulate the ovaries, namely ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome. The effects can range from bloating, cramping or mild pain, weight gain, to unbearable pain in the stomach. Severe effects must be treated in the hospital, although symptoms usually disappear over time.