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Self-insemination

Using Self-insemination as a Private Conception Alternative

By Kelly Burgess

in Orinda, Calif., fresh sperm has its advantages. Fresh sperm lives longer in the body, and fresh semen contains more actual sperm than frozen. Brill says that increases the chances for conception. Also, if the donor is a friend, it's quite a bit less expensive. For frozen sperm, the national average is $200 for a single vial containing from 0.5 to 1.2 CCs of sperm.

What's imperative to understand is that fresh sperm from a donor can transmit disease and genetic defects just as unprotected sex can. Unless you have absolute confidence in the medical history of your donor, frozen sperm is the safest route.

Brill works with a lot of women who self-inseminate, and in her experience, on average, it usually takes a woman over 40 about 12 months to get pregnant, a woman in her 30s about six months, and a woman in her 20s takes one to six months. The results are even better with fresh sperm. However, she always recommends that anyone trying self-insemination block out a year of their lives to allow for multiple tries and for possible miscarriages. She says timing of the insemination is crucial.

"Most of the medical infertility world is geared toward heterosexual sex, and they don't know how to counsel women who are using small amounts of frozen sperm," Brill says. "Fertility varies a lot based upon a number of factors beyond basal body temperature and ovulation predictor kits."

Brill recommends that women keep careful charts to determine their most fertile times. When this is determined, the sperm can be inserted into the vagina either using a pre-made kit, which is available via mail order from a variety of sources, or using just a disposable syringe without the needle. It's truly that simple. The rest, just like the traditional route to pregnancy, is a matter of luck.

In cases where there is some doubt about being able to perform the procedure, there are trained professionals who will come to a person's home and perform the insemination. Brill has trained several midwives to perform the procedure. Many of them are trained in intrauterine insemination (IUI) in which the sperm is directly placed into the uterus as opposed to merely placed near the cervix, as is the case with most self-inseminations.

At first, Evans and Fielding just used a syringe, but on subsequent tries they purchased a kit with a small catheter to ensure they got all the semen into the syringe.

If a couple has been doing inseminations for a reasonable period of time and pregnancy doesn't occur, Brill will carefully look over their chart to determine if the inseminations were properly timed. After at least six months of well-timed inseminations, if pregnancy still has not occurred, Brill suggests beginning an investigation into possible fertility issues.

The real secret to successful self-insemination is to be as informed as possible before going ahead with the procedure. There are health issues to be wary of, particularly with fresh donor sperm. There are custody issues that may affect children born with donor sperm, so it's important to be aware of the different levels of anonymity that are available. Like Evans and Fielding, you should investigate the issue and be well-prepared for your family's future.

*Names have been changed to protect privacy.

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