Difference Between IVF and IUI

April 2022 · 2 minute read

IVF vs IUI

IVF and IUI are two methods of treatment for  couples not having children. If a married woman does not get pregnant after one year of regular unprotected sexual intercourse, she may be treated as sub fertile. The failure to get pregnant may be due to the problem with the husband’s sperm or wife’s egg or both. The treatment depends on the cause for the sub fertility.

The IVF is a shorten form of In Vitro Fertilization. This means the fertilization occur outside the body. Usually the fertilization occurs at the fallopian tube. If both tubes are defective this method can be chosen. However for other causes also this IVF can be used. IVF sometime named as test tube baby method. In this method, the egg is taken out from the ovary and the sperm from the semen, and they are allowed to meet in a petri dish. Usually more than an egg fertilized and cultured and the best growing embryos will be implanted again to the uterus. From this point the fetus will grow as a normal baby. As more embryos are implanted in the uterus, the multiple pregnancy is more likely. However the pregnancy will be successful if the uterus will accept the injected embryo and keep till delivery.

IUI stands for Intra Uterine Insemination. In this method the sperms from the semen is collected and processed and injected in to the uterus. If the male cannot produce enough sperm or the woman’s cervix is not allowing the sperm inside the uterus, this method can be used. The sperm can be borrowed from a donor, if the male partner is not producing good quality and quantity sperms. The processing will help to select the active sperms and discard the others and cell debris.

In summary

Both IVF and IUI are the treatment option for the sub fertile couple.

In IVF the fertilization occurs in a petri dish, this is the reason it is (wrongly) named as test tube baby.

In IUI the fertilization occurs as usual in fallopian tube.

Both IUI and IVF are high cost treatments, and IVF is relatively higher in cost compared with IUI.

In IVF chances of having multiple pregnancies are high.

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