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High Tech Babies: Artificial Insemination
Can Artificial Insemination Help You Conceive?
By Kendeyl Johansen
When the egg is ready for fertilization the male provides a sperm sample or, in some cases, donor sperm is used. "The sperm is treated and washed to concentrate it for the most active, motile sperm," Herbert says.
In the most common AI procedure (intrauterine insemination – IUI) the treated sperm is then inserted into a narrow, flexible catheter and pushed out inside the woman's uterine cavity. IUI is usually painless.
"It was no big deal at all. It wasn't the romantic moment we had planned, but it worked!" says Jane Herman, of Lincoln, Neb.
"IUI was similar to having a pap smear exam. It only took 15 minutes or so and was painless," Taylor adds.
Herbert's patients rest for a few minutes after IUI before they resume normal activities. "We place no activity restriction on the women after IUI. There is no proven benefit to remaining in a horizontal position – even with your feet in the air – for prolonged periods of time after this procedure," he says. He adds that some couples like to have intercourse that evening or the next morning hoping to further improve their pregnancy chances. "Although it is presently unclear whether this does improve pregnancy rates, it isn't harmful and is OK to do," he explains.
Success rates for AI vary depending on factors such as maternal age and ovarian health, medications given to increase the number of eggs released and sperm numbers or quality. "In the more difficult categories, pregnancy rates can be as low as 2 percent to 3 percent but in the more optimistic categories, pregnancy rates can reach 20 percent to 25 percent per cycle. It's very important that each woman have a thorough evaluation and adequate knowledge of her success probability based on her own unique set of circumstances before entering the AI process," Herbert says.
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Re: High Tech Babies: Artificial Insemination by G on 06/23/2009 01:14PM
Single parenthood is bad for society. Children have a right to be raised in two-parent households. How is a son supposed to learn to treat a woman if he has no example from an absent father? How is a daughter supposed to learn what its like to be treated properly by a man if she has no father? The desire to have a child does not produce a right to have a child. A child is a gift, conceived in love, not made to order by someone longing to have one. Don't put the cart before the horse.
Re: High Tech Babies: Artificial Insemination by anonymous on 04/15/2009 12:00PM
Hello, Thanks for sharing your article with us, but this is great for couples. What about single female parents who'd rather just have a child by themselves than be in a relationship?
Re: High Tech Babies: Artificial Insemination by anonymous on 03/03/2009 03:15PM
This was very informative. As a single woman contemplating AI, this was great to read.
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High Tech Babies: Artificial Insemination by Anonymous on 07/19/2009 09:54PM
I believe children learn from everyone thay come in contact with. Both girls and boys can do well and learn how to treat and be treated by people other then their parents. People that go to great lengths to have a child as s single parent are most likely going to be amazing parents and role models. They may be a parent single then some parents are as couples. Saying that "single parerthood is bad for society" is very ignorant and that is bad for society. Blessing to all those single parents and wanna be single parents making their dreams come true.