Artificial insemination is a process in which sperm is artificially added to the female’s reproductive tract. This is done to impregnate the woman. This procedure may be done either by using the male partner’s sperm or by using a donor’s sperm. There are two common methods of artificial insemination. Intracervical insemination is done by placing the sperm in the cervix of the female, while intrauterine insemination is done by directly injecting the sperm into the uterus of the female. This method has the advantage of bypassing the cervix, thereby increasing the chances of more sperm reaching the uterus and fallopian tubes in which the process of fertilization takes place. There are other techniques of artificial insemination that are not used that often. These are intrafallopian insemination in which sperm is placed at the entrance of the fallopian tubes, and intravaginal insemination, in which sperm is placed inside the vagina.
This technique is adopted by couples facing problems of infertility. It is done in cases where the male is impotent, or has a low sperm count or if there is improper interaction between the mucus of the cervix and the sperm. In this procedure, the sperm is first taken and prepared to be put into the reproduction tract of the female. This is done at a time when the woman is going through ovulation. This can be determined through an examination of the cervical mucus or with the help of an ovulation test. The reasons for the infertility are first analyzed. The sperm of the male is examined to see if it can be used for insemination. The female too must undergo some tests in order to determine if ovulation is taking place properly. This is done with the help of ultrasound tests and blood tests. If improper ovulation is occurring in the female, then medication in the form of drugs may be administered to her before the process of insemination. Sometimes, the male partner’s sperm may not be suitable for artificial insemination. In such cases, a donor’s sperm must be used. There are sperm banks that collect sperm from donors and freeze it for future use. Various tests are conducted on the donors first, in order to detect any diseases that may be infectious or genetic.
Artificial insemination has the advantage of being a relatively simple procedure and can cause extremely few side effects. It is not as invasive as costly as other techniques such as in vitro fertilization and other types of assisted reproductive technology. Another plus factor of this method is that it allows women who don’t have male partners to conceive. If there are problems of male fertility, then the couple has a greater possibility of conceiving through this method, than through planned intercourse. Also, for those with fertility problems for unknown reasons, artificial insemination works better than using fertility drugs.