Intrauterine insemination is a simple day care procedure done with the intention to increase the chances of good quality sperms to meet good quality ruptured eggs. As the name suggests it is an intra – uterine deposition of pre-washed high quality sperms such that we bypass the entry of the uterus - that is the cervix.
It is as though we are placing the sperms as close to the oocyte as possible to overcome certain factors. So, what are these factors that are coming in the way??
1.    Decreased sperm motility
The sperms have to move ahead from the vagina, through the cervical rugae, then the uterus and finally meet the female egg in the fallopian tube, which gets fertilized and the very first stage of your baby- that is an embryo - is formed. For the sperms to go ahead, they need to have motility. Some medications, work conditions or pathologies around the testis can cause the sperms to have decreased or hampered motility. In IUI we deposit these sperms in the uterine cavity much closer to the female egg than that in simple relations, in a way reducing the distance to be travelled by the sperm compensating for the decreased motility.  

2.    Quality of eggs and sperms 
The egg and sperm quality has to essentially be optimum for good success in IUI. IUI done for patients with abnormal sperm morphology, decreased count especially less than 5 million/ejacuate, females whose egg isn’t growing well or has difficulty in rupturing or has poor egg quality will not get maximal success from IUI.    

3.    Difficulty in keeping relations 
Difficulty in keeping relations is not only for couples who have erectile dysfunction, but also for couples who stay away from home due to work and other personal reasons. All these couples can benefit from timed inseminations. 

4.     Cervical factor 
The opening of uterus is called cervix. It has certain secretions, containing plasma and substances that can detect sperms as foreign body and attack them causing sperm destruction at the cervix itself and leading to infertility. These antibodies are by passed in IUI by inseminating sperms directly into the uterine cavity.  

Everyone who has tried naturally for one whole year, has undergone ovulation induction with timed intercourse for minimum three months and yet isn’t pregnant, with no other known cause is definitely a candidate for IUI.