IUI in Mexico, in Tijuana or another city, can be a sensible plan when four things are settled before you pay a deposit: tests near home show at least one open fallopian tube and a sperm sample good enough for IUI, or you’ll use donor sperm; your age and diagnosis suit IUI rather than moving straight to IVF (in vitro fertilization); the clinic has agreed in writing how it will monitor your cycle and when it would stop one; and your travel can shift with your ovulation date.
IUI (intrauterine insemination) places washed sperm past the cervix, which naturally limits how many sperm enter the uterus, so more of them have a chance to meet the egg (American Society for Reproductive Medicine, ASRM). Whether it suits you is your fertility doctor’s call.
At a glance
- What it is
- Washed sperm placed inside the uterus around ovulation, in a procedure that takes a few minutes
- Medicines
- None in a natural cycle, or pills or injections that help several eggs mature
- Who it may suit
- People using donor sperm, some couples with mild male-factor or unexplained infertility, and those for whom sex or ejaculation is difficult
- Tests first
- A check that your fallopian tubes are open and, with a partner’s sperm, a semen analysis
- Timing
- One insemination is recommended within 36 hours of the trigger shot, so travel dates need room to move
- Price
- Depends on medicines, scans, repeat cycles and donor sperm; see what a quote should list
Key takeaways
- Have a tubal check, a semen analysis and egg-supply tests done near home, then ask a fertility specialist whether IUI or in vitro fertilization fits your results and age.
- Before your first cycle, agree in writing which medicines you’ll take, when you’ll be scanned and at what follicle count the clinic would cancel.
- Decide with your doctor how many IUI cycles to try before changing course, and ask each clinic for live births per cycle among patients like you.
- Ask which monitoring can happen near home, and book travel that can shift by a few days so the trip fits your ovulation.
- If you’ll use donor sperm, settle the donor’s test records, the shipping and the legal questions before the cycle that needs it.
In this guide
- What IUI is, and how one cycle runs
- Who IUI may suit, and when sources point to IVF instead
- Tests before IUI, and why to do them near home
- Natural cycle or ovarian stimulation: pills, injections and scans
- Success rates per cycle, and how many cycles to try
- Using donor sperm: screening and questions to settle first
- Planning the trip around your ovulation date
- Risks of IUI, and what you can do about each
- Choosing a fertility clinic for IUI
- What an IUI quote should list
- Questions to ask a fertility clinic about IUI
- Before you go: checklist
- Warning signs during and after an IUI cycle
- Frequently asked questions
- Sources
What IUI is, and how one cycle runs
IUI, sometimes called artificial insemination (CDC), lets the body do more on its own than IVF, in which eggs are collected and fertilized in a lab. It’s less invasive and less expensive, with lower success rates per cycle, so several tries are common (HFEA). One cycle, and why each step happens:
| Step | What happens and why |
|---|---|
| Natural cycle or medicines | No medicines, or pills or injections that make the ovaries mature several eggs at once, to put more sperm in contact with more eggs (ASRM) |
| Monitoring | Without medicines, urine or blood tests find when you’re ovulating; with them, vaginal ultrasound scans check how the eggs are developing (NHS) by tracking the follicles, the cysts that contain the eggs (ASRM medicines sheet) |
| Trigger shot | An injection of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) triggers the release of the eggs once they’re mature (ASRM medicines sheet) |
| Sperm preparation | The sample is “washed” in the lab to concentrate the sperm and remove the seminal fluid, which can cause severe cramping; this can take up to 2 hours (ASRM) |
| Insemination | A thin tube (catheter) passes through the cervix and the sperm are slowly injected, which takes a few minutes (ASRM); you go home after a short rest (NHS) |
| Pregnancy test | On the date the clinic gives you; testing earlier can mislead (HFEA) |
For comparison, see one IVF cycle, step by step.
Who IUI may suit, and when sources point to IVF instead
Why it matters: IUI helps only when sperm can reach an egg through an open tube, so the reason you haven’t conceived decides whether it’s worth trying first.
| Your situation | What the sources say |
|---|---|
| Donor sperm, as a single parent or a female couple | IUI is commonly used with donated sperm, including by single women and female couples (HFEA; CDC) |
| Sex or ejaculation is difficult | It can help when vaginal sex isn’t possible (NHS) or a male partner has erection or ejaculation problems, including sperm going back into the bladder (ASRM) |
| Scarring or an unusual shape of the cervix | IUI places the sperm beyond it (ASRM) |
| Irregular ovulation | It may suit people who don’t ovulate normally but can with medicine (CDC) |
| Mild male-factor infertility | A slightly low sperm count or motility (movement) is among the situations it may suit (CDC) |
Unexplained infertility. When standard tests find no cause, the sources differ. The American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), a U.S. professional society, recommends IUI with ovulation pills as the first treatment for most couples, then IVF if it doesn’t work (ASRM guideline). In UK practice, England’s National Health Service (NHS) says IUI isn’t likely to raise your chances with unexplained infertility (NHS). The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), the UK’s fertility regulator, says guidelines from the UK’s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) advise against it with a partner’s sperm, so the NHS generally doesn’t fund it (HFEA). A 2020 Cochrane review of 15 trials found the evidence too limited to be sure whether IUI helps overall, though, on one trial’s evidence, IUI with clomiphene or letrozole probably raises live births, compared with waiting, for couples with a low predicted chance of conceiving naturally (Ayeleke et al., 2020).
When the sources point to IVF. IUI isn’t a cheaper stand-in for IVF when there’s a significant fertility problem (HFEA):
- Blocked tubes, a low egg supply or low egg quality: IUI won’t be appropriate (HFEA); with blocked tubes, a doctor will likely suggest surgery to look at them or IVF to bypass them (ASRM HSG sheet).
- Sperm or pelvic problems: IUI doesn’t work as well with few sperm or severe sperm abnormalities, and doesn’t help with moderate to severe endometriosis or past pelvic infections (ASRM).
- Age: in your late 30s or over 40, you might be advised to have IVF even if IUI is appropriate (HFEA), and with unexplained infertility at 38 or older, going straight to IVF may bring a higher pregnancy rate and a shorter time to pregnancy (ASRM guideline).
How to check: see a reproductive endocrinologist, a doctor who specializes in infertility (CDC), and ask why IUI rather than IVF for your results and age, and what would change the plan.
Tests before IUI, and why to do them near home
Why it matters: these results show whether IUI can suit you at all, and having them before you travel lets a clinic in Mexico plan your cycle in advance.
In UK practice, all IUI starts with fertility tests, including a check that the tubes are open and healthy, and a partner whose sperm you’ll use is tested too (NHS).
| Test | What it shows | Before you book |
|---|---|---|
| Tubal check | A hysterosalpingogram (HSG) is an X-ray in which dye shows whether the tubes are open and the inside of the uterus is normal; it usually takes under 5 minutes, after your period and before ovulation (ASRM HSG sheet). Keyhole surgery or a vaginal ultrasound can also be used (HFEA) | Cramping usually lasts 5 to 10 minutes but for some people lasts several hours, so arrange a ride home, and mention any allergy to iodine, contrast dye or seafood (ASRM HSG sheet) |
| Semen analysis | The number, movement and shape of the sperm; a slightly abnormal result doesn’t necessarily mean a man is infertile (CDC) | Ask the clinic what result it needs to plan IUI with your partner’s sperm |
| Ovarian function | Tests for follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and anti-müllerian hormone (AMH), and a test called the antral follicle count; no single test perfectly predicts fertility (CDC) | Share the results with every clinic you’re considering |
How to check: have your doctor at home order these tests, keep copies, ask each clinic which results it accepts and how recent they must be, and after an HSG, know the warning signs.
Natural cycle or ovarian stimulation: pills, injections and scans
Why it matters: the medicines decide how many eggs may be released, which raises the chance of pregnancy and of twins or more, and how closely your cycle needs watching.
| Approach | What it is | What U.S. guidance says |
|---|---|---|
| Natural cycle | No fertility medicines; urine or blood tests time the insemination (NHS) | Not recommended for unexplained infertility, as it’s less effective than IUI with medicines and likely no better than trying on your own (ASRM guideline). For people who ovulate and use donor sperm, it should be considered first, on limited data: in a study of 76,643 such cycles, pills added under 1% to ongoing pregnancies but raised multiple pregnancies from 2.4% to 10.8% (ASRM 2022) |
| Pills | Clomiphene citrate or letrozole, taken by mouth | For unexplained infertility, clomiphene with IUI is recommended, and letrozole is an alternative that studies so far suggest works about as well (ASRM guideline) |
| Injections | Gonadotropins, containing follicle-stimulating hormone alone or with luteinizing hormone, act directly on the ovaries to grow several follicles (ASRM medicines sheet) | Not recommended for most couples with unexplained infertility (ASRM guideline), or for people who ovulate and are having IUI; the benefit of low-dose injections lies mainly with people who don’t ovulate and don’t respond to pills (ASRM 2022) |
Scans and cancelling. With fertility medicines, scans count the growing follicles, and if too many develop, the cycle has to be cancelled because of the risk of multiple pregnancy (HFEA). U.S. guidance for patients under 40 is to consider cancelling when more than 2 follicles measure 16 mm or more, or more than 3 measure 14 mm or more (ASRM 2022). One insemination between 0 and 36 hours after the trigger shot is recommended; a second hasn’t been shown to improve live births in clomiphene cycles (ASRM guideline).
How to check: ask which approach and dose the doctor suggests and why, how many scans you’ll need from which cycle day, and agree in writing the follicle count for cancelling.
Success rates per cycle, and how many cycles to try
Why it matters: the chance in any one IUI cycle is modest, so knowing the averages for people like you helps you decide how many cycles to plan and pay for.
Success depends on whether fertility medicines are used, the age of the person carrying the pregnancy, the diagnosis and other factors (ASRM). For a sense of scale, here are results for groups of patients:
| Group, and what was counted | What the studies found |
|---|---|
| Unexplained infertility, a cohort study of 14,519 cycles in China: live births per cycle | 6.2% in natural cycles; after adjustment, 8.9% with clomiphene, 9.4% with letrozole and 9.5% with injections |
| Unexplained infertility, ages 38 to 42, one trial: live births per couple after 2 treatment cycles | 15.7% with clomiphene and IUI, 13.5% with injections and IUI, and 31.4% with IVF straight away |
| Donor sperm, one UK clinic, 3,333 patients: births per cycle, and the crude (unadjusted) share with a baby over all their cycles | A birth from 8.9% of cycles; 29% of patients under 35 had a baby, 23% at 35 to 37, 21% at 38 to 39 and 12% at 40 to 42 |
| 40 and older, a review of 42 studies: live births per cycle | With a partner’s sperm, 0% to 8.5% in the 8 studies that reported it, 4% or less in most of them; with donor sperm, 3% to 7% in 4 studies |
Sources: the first two rows are a cohort study and a trial as summarized in the ASRM guideline; then Linara-Demakakou et al., 2020 and Nesbit et al., 2022. These are averages across groups of patients, counted in different ways, not a prediction for you. Your fertility doctor can help you read what they mean for your situation.
In UK figures, over half of patients under 40 using IUI get pregnant within 6 cycles (NHS).
How many cycles. For unexplained infertility, U.S. guidance is typically 3 or 4 cycles of IUI with pills, then IVF rather than injections with IUI (ASRM guideline). In the UK clinic’s donor-sperm data, few births came after the sixth cycle; its authors saw little benefit beyond 6 cycles up to age 40, or 3 at 40 to 42, noting this doesn’t reflect current UK guidelines (Linara-Demakakou et al., 2020). At 40 and older, the review finds IVF gives the best chance with a partner’s sperm; if IVF isn’t an option, up to 4 IUI cycles with a partner’s sperm or 6 with donor sperm may be considered (Nesbit et al., 2022).
How to check: clinics in Mexico report their own figures, and medicated IUI cycles aren’t captured in a U.S. national registry either (ASRM 2022); reading a clinic’s success rates explains how counting changes the numbers. Ask each clinic for live births, not just pregnancies, per cycle among patients your age with your diagnosis, split by sperm source and cycle type, and for its rate of twins and triplets.
Using donor sperm: screening and questions to settle first
Why it matters: donor sperm brings screening, shipping and legal questions, and they’re far easier to settle before the cycle that needs it.
In the U.S., the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates donated sperm: establishments that handle it must register, donors are screened through their medical records, an interview and an exam, and tested for infections including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B and C, syphilis, chlamydia, gonorrhea and, for sperm donors, two more viruses (FDA). In UK practice, donor sperm is frozen and checked for infections and inherited conditions, which can take up to 6 months (NHS).
When we checked in November 2026, we found no official Mexican page setting out which tests a sperm donor must have, so ask the clinic. For shipping, a Mexican government manual for the permit from COFEPRIS, Mexico’s federal health regulator, to bring human cells and tissues into the country gives semen as an example product (COFEPRIS manual, in Spanish); ask the clinic who obtains that permit. A donor’s legal status, anonymity and family limits are covered in donor eggs or sperm: questions to settle first.
How to check:
- Which bank, in which country, and which infection and genetic tests did the donor have? Ask for copies.
- Who ships the sperm, who receives it at the clinic, and who handles the import paperwork?
- How many vials does a cycle use, how are they stored, and what happens to unused ones?
Planning the trip around your ovulation date
Why it matters: the insemination follows your ovulation, which can’t be pinned down weeks ahead, so the trip has to be able to move by a few days.
Ovulation usually comes 12 to 16 days before your next period is due (NHS), and regular periods anywhere from 21 to 35 days apart likely reflect ovulation (CDC), so the date depends on your own cycle.
| Plan | How it works | What to settle first |
|---|---|---|
| Monitoring near home | Scans or ovulation tests happen near home, and you travel as ovulation nears | Who reads the results and times the trigger; we found no official source on monitoring away from the treating clinic, so agree it with that clinic |
| Monitoring in Mexico | You cross for each scan, or stay nearby from the first scan to the insemination | The cycle day of the first scan, and timing each crossing |
| A partner’s fresh sample | The partner usually gives it at the clinic on the day (NHS) | Travel together, or ask whether sperm frozen in advance, which can be thawed for IUI (ASRM), suits your plan |
How long to stay. We found no official figure. Washing the sample can take up to 2 hours and the insemination a few minutes (see one cycle), so with monitoring near home the stay can be short; with every scan in Mexico, it runs from the first scan to the insemination. That’s our reading, not a figure any source states. For how your period sets a cycle’s start, see the egg freezing guide’s trip planning; for medicines you carry home, see fertility medicines bought in Mexico and medicine prescribed after a procedure.
How to check: book flights and rooms you can change, and ask the clinic which cycle day it wants to see you first, how soon after the trigger shot you must be there, and what happens to your appointment and payment if you ovulate early.
Risks of IUI, and what you can do about each
Why it matters: in treatment for unexplained infertility, the major risks come from stimulating the ovaries with fertility medicines (ASRM guideline), so the protocol you agree shapes most of them.
| Risk | What it is | What you can do |
|---|---|---|
| Twins or more | With injections, alone or with IUI, up to 30% of pregnancies are multiples, against 1% to 2% naturally; most are twins, and up to 5% are triplets or more (ASRM medicines sheet). Multiples can bring more problems in pregnancy and a higher chance of an early birth (CDC) | Ask whether a natural cycle or pills suit you, have every medicated cycle scanned, and agree the follicle count for cancelling in writing |
| Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) | Enlarged ovaries and fluid in the belly after injections: mild in 10% to 20% of injection cycles, usually settling quickly, and severe in about 1%, often needing a hospital stay. Severe cases can bring dehydration, blood clots or kidney problems and, rarely, death. It’s more likely with polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (formerly polycystic ovary syndrome) or a pregnancy that cycle (ASRM medicines sheet) | Ask how the clinic would respond to an over-response, such as stopping injections or delaying or withholding the trigger shot (ASRM medicines sheet); you may have to stop that cycle (NHS). Keep the warning signs with you |
| Ectopic pregnancy | A pregnancy outside the womb, usually in a fallopian tube (NHS); slightly more common in injection cycles than the 1% to 2% of natural pregnancies (ASRM medicines sheet) | Symptoms tend to develop between the 4th and 12th week of pregnancy (NHS), so keep the warning signs with you through those weeks |
| A twisted ovary | In under 2% of injection cycles, the ovary, heavier with extra follicles, can twist and cut off its own blood supply, which needs surgery (ASRM medicines sheet) | Ask whether you need injections at all, and contact the clinic about belly pain while you take them |
| Infection | A small risk after IUI (ASRM); without fertility medicines, it’s the only complication the NHS lists, and very rare (NHS) | Ask which signs the clinic wants to hear about, and save its after-hours number |
| Cramping and spotting | Mild cramps for some, and spotting for a day or two (ASRM) | Plan a quiet rest of the day, and ask which pain reliever to take |
| Medicine side effects | For some, skin irritation where you inject, or breast tenderness, headaches or mood swings; current studies show no rise in cancers (ASRM medicines sheet) | Get a written medicine schedule, and report side effects |
IUI doesn’t raise the chance of birth defects, which is 2% to 4% for all children, whether conceived naturally or with IUI (ASRM).
How to check: ask which risks weigh most with your protocol, how each would be treated, and who would see you if a problem starts after you’re home.
Choosing a fertility clinic for IUI
Why it matters: the license and credential checks for IVF apply to IUI too, and an IUI cycle adds questions about who monitors you and who prepares the sperm.
Start with checking the clinic and doctor for the clinic’s health license and the doctor’s credentials. Verified licenses are a strong starting point, and one part of a sound plan alongside written monitoring rules and a clear quote.
How to check: ask who will read your scans, who will do the insemination and who runs the lab that prepares the sperm, and whether the clinic also offers IVF if you need it later.
What an IUI quote should list
Why it matters: one clinic’s price may cover only the insemination and another’s a whole cycle, so compare quotes line by line.
In UK practice, one IUI cycle typically costs about a quarter of one IVF cycle, and many patients have several cycles, which belongs in the budget (HFEA); donor sperm usually adds to the price (NHS). We found no U.S. price for IUI from an official or professional source, so we don’t give one. For U.S. coverage of care abroad, see insurance and care in Mexico and paying from health savings accounts.
How to check: ask each clinic for a written, itemized quote, then compare it with what a medical tourism quote should include:
| Line | What to ask |
|---|---|
| Consultation and tests | Which tests does the price include, and can recent results from home stand in for repeats? |
| Medicines | Pills or injections, how much of each, and is the trigger shot in the price? |
| Monitoring | How many scans and blood tests does the price cover, and what is charged for each extra one? |
| Sperm preparation and insemination | Are washing the sample and one insemination included, and what would a second insemination cost? |
| Donor sperm | What are the price per vial, the bank’s shipping fee, any import paperwork and storage for unused vials? |
| A cancelled cycle | What do you pay if a cycle stops because too many follicles grow or you ovulate early? |
| Repeat cycles | What does each further cycle cost, and is there a set price for several? |
| Pregnancy test and early scan | Are they included, and can they happen near home? |
Questions to ask a fertility clinic about IUI
- Given my tests and age, why IUI rather than IVF, and how many cycles would you plan before changing course?
- At what follicle count would you cancel a cycle, and will you put that in writing?
- Which scans and tests can happen near my home, and who would read them?
- What share of patients like me had a live birth per cycle, and what is your twin rate?
- If I use donor sperm, which banks and donor tests do you accept, and who handles shipping and import?
- Whom do I call after hours, and on which day should I take a pregnancy test?
Before you go: checklist
- Tubal check, semen analysis and ovary tests done near home, with copies in hand
- IUI or IVF talked through with a fertility specialist, and a number of cycles agreed
- Medicines, scan schedule and follicle limit for cancelling agreed in writing
- Clinic’s health license and the doctor’s license numbers looked up
- Itemized quote covering scans, medicines, sperm preparation, the insemination and repeat cycles
- Donor sperm records, shipping and legal questions settled, if you’re using a donor
- Changeable travel booked, crossings timed, and medicines for the trip home checked against U.S. border rules
- The State Department’s advisory read; see what it says about Tijuana and Guadalajara
- Warning signs below read, and the clinic’s after-hours number saved in your phone
Warning signs during and after an IUI cycle
In an emergency, call 911, which works in the U.S. and Mexico, then tell your fertility clinic. Keep these signs with you while taking fertility medicines and through the first weeks of any pregnancy.
| What you notice | What to do |
|---|---|
| While taking medicine to stimulate ovulation: difficulty breathing, pain in your chest or upper back, being very thirsty and peeing less than usual, or swelling in any part of your body | These could be severe symptoms of OHSS: call 911, and don’t drive yourself (adapted from NHS advice for the UK, where the number is 999) |
| While taking medicine to stimulate ovulation: pain and bloating in your belly, feeling or being sick, feeling faint, or coughing up blood | These could be symptoms of OHSS: contact your fertility clinic as soon as possible (NHS) |
| A combination of sharp, sudden and intense belly pain, feeling very dizzy or fainting, feeling sick, and looking very pale | These could mean a fallopian tube has ruptured from an ectopic pregnancy: call 911 (adapted from NHS advice for the UK, where the number is 999) |
| If you might be pregnant, a combination of belly pain low down on one side, vaginal bleeding or a brown watery discharge, pain in the tip of your shoulder, or discomfort when peeing or pooing | Get medical advice right away from your clinic or a doctor near you, even without a positive pregnancy test (adapted from NHS advice for the UK) |
| After an HSG: pain that keeps increasing or a fever within 1 to 2 days, heavy bleeding, or a rash, itching or swelling | Call your doctor (ASRM HSG sheet) |
Where a sign appears in more than one row, take the more urgent step; that’s our own practical rule, not a source’s.
If symptoms begin once you’re home, tell whoever sees you which fertility medicines you took and the date of your insemination.
Frequently asked questions
How much does IUI cost in Mexico?
It depends on what the price covers: medicines, monitoring scans, sperm preparation, the insemination and, if you need it, donor sperm and its shipping. We found no official or professional source that gives a price for IUI in Mexico or in the U.S. Many patients have several cycles before a pregnancy (HFEA), so ask what each further cycle and a cancelled cycle would cost. What an IUI quote should list has the lines to compare.
What is the success rate of IUI?
The chance in any one cycle is modest, and it depends on whether fertility medicines are used, your age, your diagnosis and other factors (ASRM). Published averages by age and diagnosis are in success rates per cycle; they describe groups of patients, not a prediction for you. Ask each clinic for live births, not just pregnancies, per cycle for patients your age, and whether its figures use a partner’s or donor sperm.
How many IUI cycles should you try before IVF?
Often 3 or 4 with unexplained infertility: that’s the usual course of IUI with ovulation pills before in vitro fertilization (IVF) in U.S. guidance, and at 38 or older, going straight to IVF may get you pregnant sooner (ASRM guideline). With donor sperm, one UK clinic saw few births after the sixth cycle (Linara-Demakakou et al., 2020). Agree a number with your doctor before you start; see how many cycles to try.
How long do you need to stay in Mexico for IUI?
Your clinic sets the schedule, and we found no official figure. Sperm preparation can take up to 2 hours and the insemination a few minutes (ASRM), so the length of the trip depends mostly on where your monitoring happens. With scans near home, it can be short; with every scan in Mexico, you’ll be there, or crossing back and forth, from the first scan until the insemination. Book travel that can move; see planning the trip.
Can you use donor sperm for IUI in Mexico?
Yes, IUI is commonly used with donated sperm (HFEA), but settle the details before your cycle: which bank the sperm comes from, which infection and genetic tests the donor had, who ships it and who handles import paperwork. We found no official Mexican page listing the tests a donor must have; U.S. sperm banks must follow the Food and Drug Administration’s screening and testing rules (FDA). See using donor sperm.
Does IUI hurt?
Usually not much. IUI isn’t usually painful, though it can be a bit uncomfortable and may leave you cramping for a short time, and it typically takes no more than 10 minutes (NHS); some people also have spotting for a day or two (ASRM). The tubal X-ray you may have beforehand, a hysterosalpingogram, often causes mild or moderate cramping for 5 to 10 minutes (ASRM HSG sheet). Ask which pain reliever you can take.
Is IUI in Mexico safe?
Much of the answer rests on checks you can make before paying a deposit: tests showing that IUI suits you, the clinic’s license and the doctor’s credentials, a written plan for scans and for cancelling a cycle, and travel that can move with your ovulation. The main risks, such as twins or more and ovarian hyperstimulation, come mostly from fertility medicines (ASRM guideline); risks and what to do pairs each with a step, and is it safe to get surgery in Mexico? covers the travel advisory.
Is IUI or IVF better for me?
It depends on your diagnosis and age, and your fertility doctor can weigh both with you. IUI is less invasive and less expensive, while in vitro fertilization (IVF) has higher success rates per cycle (HFEA). Blocked tubes, severe sperm problems and a low egg supply point toward IVF, and from your late 30s you may be advised to go straight to it; see who IUI may suit.
Sources
- Intrauterine Insemination (IUI) (patient fact sheet, revised 2021) American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ReproductiveFacts.org)
- Side effects of injectable fertility drugs (gonadotropins) (patient fact sheet, revised 2023) American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ReproductiveFacts.org)
- Hysterosalpingogram (HSG) (patient fact sheet, revised 2023) American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ReproductiveFacts.org)
- Evidence-based treatments for couples with unexplained infertility: a guideline (2020) American Society for Reproductive Medicine (Fertility and Sterility)
- Multiple gestation associated with infertility therapy: a committee opinion (2022) American Society for Reproductive Medicine (Fertility and Sterility)
- Infertility: Frequently Asked Questions (May 15, 2024) U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- What You Should Know: Reproductive Tissue Donation (content current as of April 25, 2019) U.S. Food and Drug Administration
- Intrauterine insemination (IUI) (page last reviewed June 25, 2024) NHS
- Ectopic pregnancy (page last reviewed August 23, 2022) NHS
- Intrauterine insemination (IUI) Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA)
- Permiso de internación al territorio nacional de células y tejidos, incluyendo sangre, sus componentes y derivados, así como otros productos de seres humanos (user manual for the import permit, in Spanish; file dated April 2024) COFEPRIS, Secretaría de Salud (gob.mx)
- Intra-uterine insemination for unexplained subfertility (Ayeleke et al., 2020; abstract on PubMed) Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
- Cumulative live birth rates following insemination with donor spermatozoa in single women, same-sex couples and heterosexual patients (Linara-Demakakou et al., 2020; abstract on PubMed) Reproductive BioMedicine Online (peer-reviewed journal)
- Ovulation induction and intrauterine insemination in women of advanced reproductive age: a systematic review of the literature (Nesbit et al., 2022; abstract on PubMed) Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics (peer-reviewed journal)
About this guide
The Uriym editorial team researched this guide from the 14 sources above, drafted it with AI assistance, and checked it claim by claim against those sources before publishing, last on . Our editorial standards explain how we choose sources, handle prices and make corrections.
Uriym is a healthcare navigation platform, not a medical provider. Its founder, Adriana Mendez, grew up in a family that traveled to Mexico for care and has done it herself for the past ten years. How Uriym works
This is general information, not medical, legal or financial advice: your treating provider decides what care is right for you. Rules, prices and advisories change, so check the official page before you act. Found something wrong or out of date? Email support@uriym.com.
