What Is IUI and Is it Better than North Houston IVF?

There are many paths to parenthood, and our North Houston IVF clinic offers a variety of fertility treatments for hopeful parents struggling to get pregnant. North Houston IVF is typically the first treatment that comes to mind, but there is a less invasive and less expensive option known as Intrauterine Insemination (IUI) that may be beneficial for you. But what is North Houston IUI? And how does it compare to IVF? Keep reading to learn more about these two treatments, both of which are available at our Kingwood fertility clinic and The Woodlands fertility clinic.

North Houston IVF Explained

During In-vitro Fertilization, or IVF, a woman’s egg is fertilized by sperm outside of the body. If you undergo Kingwood IVF or The Woodlands IVF, you’ll be prescribed medication to stimulate the ovaries so they produce more eggs. Those eggs are retrieved during a surgical procedure and introduced to the sperm in a lab. Upon successful fertilization, the resulting embryo is then placed back inside the uterus with the hope it will implant and result in a successful pregnancy.  

North Houston IUI Explained

Intrauterine Insemination, or IUI, is a simpler procedure than North Houston IVF. It begins by collecting sperm and removing the seminal fluid and selecting the motile, or moving, sperm. This “washed” sperm is then inserted high into the uterine cavity at the time of ovulation, which shortens the distance the  sperm need to travel to reach the egg and increases the chances of success. Like North Houston IVF, IUI is completed in either our Kingwood fertility clinic or The Woodlands fertility clinic, but does not require sedation.

Which Treatment is Right For Me?

Our North Houston fertility clinic offers both IVF and IUI, but which one is best for you depends upon a number of factors. Here are the pros and cons of each:

North Houston IUI pros:

• More affordable procedure 
• Less invasive, non-surgical procedure

North Houston IUI cons:

• Not as effective as North Houston IVF
• Requires working ovaries and fallopian tubes, as well as viable eggs

North Houston IVF pros:

• Higher success rate
• Addresses more causes of fertility 

North Houston IVF cons:

• More expensive, making it cost-prohibitive for some patients, especially if additional cycles are needed  
• More invasive, as it requires sedation and a surgical procedure

Both procedures include a regimen of fertility-boosting drugs to stimulate ovulation and increase the chances of conception. Many of our patients choose to undergo IUI before IVF, but that is not always the case, as some causes of infertility prevent North Houston IUI from being a viable option. Those who are not good candidates for IUI will need to consider North Houston IVF instead.

Our North Houston Fertility Specialists Are Here To Guide You 

If you’d like more information about North Houston IVF and North Houston IUI, call us today to schedule an appointment at our Kingwood fertility clinic or The Woodlands fertility clinic. Our team of compassionate and knowledgeable fertility specialists can help you decide which treatment option is right for your needs and circumstances. We’d be honored to guide you along your fertility journey.