Artificial insemination
What is Artificial Insemination?
When a woman has difficulty conceiving through natural means, she resorts to assisted reproduction techniques. Depending on the type of problem or impediment present, the specialist will make the appropriate decision. Two of the most commonly used techniques are in vitro fertilization (IVF) and artificial insemination. Broadly speaking, insemination consists of depositing a semen sample inside the uterus, just when ovulation occurs.
When artificial insemination is recommended
In the event that the patient has an ovulation problem, this technique is suggested, which is usually used in young women. It is also used successfully in patients who have minimal endometriosis. Or if the man has poor quality semen, what is done is to obtain it and deposit it in the uterus.
HOMOLOGOUS ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION
In general, homologous artificial insemination is recommended for young couples with a mild cause of sterility who, after a year of unprotected sexual relations, have not yet achieved pregnancy.
For the treatment to be successful, it is recommended that the woman is not older than 36 years and that her ovarian reserve is good. In addition, it is essential that:
- The woman has permeable fallopian tubes.
- The man has good quality semen.
If these requirements are met, AI could be the reproductive solution for patients.
What is the process of Artificial Insemination?
As we have already said, the procedure of artificial insemination is very simple and consists of the following steps:
Controlled ovarian stimulation
gentle stimulation is performed so that only one or two ovarian follicles develop.
Sperm capacitation
The man provides a semen sample obtained by masturbation on the day of artificial insemination. This semen sample is processed in the laboratory to eliminate the seminal plasma and only the progressively mobile sperm remain.
Artificial insemination
About 36 hours before insemination, the woman is given a drug to induce ovulation. Then, on the day of insemination, the partner’s capacitated semen is introduced into the woman’s uterus with an insemination cannula.
HETEROLOGOUS INSEMINATION
Heterologous artificial insemination with donor semen (IAD), also known as heterologous artificial insemination (IAHe), is an assisted reproduction treatment indicated for couples with a severe male factor or for women who lack a male partner, whether they are single women or lesbian couples.
In these cases, the seminal sample used to perform artificial insemination comes from a sperm bank.
Since sperm or egg donation is anonymous in Colombia, the fertility clinic staff will be in charge of choosing the most suitable donor for each situation.
When is IAD indicated?
Artificial insemination with donor semen (AID) is a simple reproductive technique that is used in many cases, but it is not always possible to carry out AI. The main reasons for doing AI with donor semen are the following:
- Single mothers by choice: women who decide to be mothers without a partner.
- Lesbian mothers: female couples who decide to have a child together.
- Risk of transmission of genetic diseases by the father, although a preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) should be considered first.
Severe male infertility: very poor semen quality, secretory azoospermia, sperm DNA fragmentation, etc.
Nowadays, a woman can become a single mother by using donor sperm for artificial insemination. In this case, the assisted reproduction clinic will assign the woman a sperm donor who has similar characteristics to her own.
This family model has increased in recent years because women are postponing motherhood until they find a more stable time in their lives. However, when this happens, it may happen that she does not have a partner.
Since a woman’s fertility decreases as she ages, many women between 35 and 40 years of age find themselves in the situation of having to decide whether they really want to be mothers, even if they are alone.
In the case of female homosexual couples, they can also become mothers thanks to AI treatment with donor sperm.
Donor artificial insemination process
The AID treatment is exactly the same as that of homologous artificial insemination or with partner’s sperm. The only difference between the two procedures is obtaining the sperm.
While in FIA the homologated semen is provided by the couple and is processed in the laboratory, in heterologous AI the semen comes from a bank where it has been frozen for at least 6 months.
