The world of fertility treatment invariably includes a lot of unfamiliar terminology. To make matters more complicated, many of the most common terms are acronyms: AMH, FSH, IUI, IVF, GCS, PGT. It can be a lot to wrap your head around.
While deciding between fertility treatments can feel overwhelming, learning about the procedures will help you make informed choices. Let’s talk about the key differences between two of the most common fertility treatments available today: intrauterine insemination (IUI) and in vitro fertilization (IVF).
IUI and IVF Cost Differences
For many people pursuing fertility treatments, cost is a big factor in decision-making. Most insurance companies don’t cover fertility treatments, and patients frequently need to pay out of pocket. While fertility financing may make treatment more affordable, it’s still a significant expense. As a result, many patients prefer to first try less expensive treatments.
IUI is much less expensive than IVF. The exact price depends on your treatment needs, including lab work and medication, but IUI typically costs $2,000 or less per cycle. By contrast, IVF ranges from $11,000-$12,000 per cycle.
It’s important to note that you may need to go through more than one cycle of IUI or IVF before you become pregnant, so you should consider long-term affordability when deciding whether to pursue IUI or IVF first.
IUI Is Less Invasive Than IVF
IUI is far less invasive than IVF, which makes it appealing to many patients.
During IUI, which is timed to ovulation, sperm is placed into the uterus using a small catheter. Although IUI can be performed during your natural cycle, many couples opt to use medication to stimulate additional eggs to mature and trigger ovulation.
IVF requires much more intervention than IUI. You’ll first take injections to stimulate your body to mature multiple eggs. Your doctor will then retrieve your eggs using a needle inserted through your vagina and into your ovaries. Your partner or donor will also need to provide a sperm sample.
The eggs and sperm are combined, and the resulting embryos may be either transferred back to your uterus or frozen for later use. You may also opt to have preimplantation genetic testing done on your embryos so that the healthiest embryos can be selected for transfer.
Differences In Where Fertilization Occurs
During IUI, sperm are placed directly into the uterus, where they fertilize the egg as they would after sexual intercourse. Many couples view IUI as a more natural method and prefer to try several rounds of IUI before moving on to IVF.
During IVF, fertilization occurs outside of the uterus with sperm and egg combined in the lab. In some cases, sperm may be injected directly into the egg via intracytoplasmic sperm injection. This is particularly helpful for men who have problems with sperm quantity or quality.
Success Rate Differences Between IUI and IVF
Another key difference between IUI and IVF that’s especially important to patients is the success rates of treatments. Because of the financial investment, you want to know your treatment will work!
Unfortunately, there are no guarantees with any treatment, but success rates do differ between IUI and IVF. The success rate for IUI is about 20%, while the success rate for IVF is around 30%. And though those numbers don’t necessarily sound encouraging, the pregnancy rate for natural conception is only around 25% per cycle. Additionally, IVF success rates are higher if you’re under age 35.
Risk of Multiples: Differences Between IUI and IVF
Some couples hope for twins or triplets, while others worry about the health and financial risks of multiple pregnancies. You should speak to both your partner and doctor about your feelings regarding multiple pregnancies before deciding on a course of treatment.
IVF has a much lower risk of multiple pregnancies than IUI because only one embryo is typically transferred into your uterus. There is about a 1% risk the embryo will split into twins, but in most cases you’ll have a single pregnancy.
Twins do occur in 8-15% of IUI pregnancies because the medication that increases the number of mature eggs means more than one might be fertilized when sperm is transferred.
IUI vs IVF for Specific Conditions
There are times when IUI or IVF may be more appropriate for your circumstances, especially when certain health conditions are taken into account. .
In general, IUI is most appropriate for:
- Unexplained infertility
- Mild male-factor infertility
- Mild endometriosis
- Healthy patients using donor sperm
- Men who have trouble ejaculating
IVF is often most appropriate for:
- Couples who’ve been unable to conceive for at least a year
- Diminished ovarian reserve
- Blocked fallopian tubes
- Severe endometriosis
- Severe male-factor infertility
- Using donor eggs
- Ovulatory disorders
- Men who have previously had a vasectomy
- Patients who are working with a gestational carrier
Both IUI and IVF are excellent treatment options that have helped many people realize their dreams of becoming parents. Your doctor will help you decide which is the best treatment for you.
Schedule a consult today to discuss your fertility goals with Dr. Sanaz Ghazal at RISE Fertility.
A concierge fertility practice, RISE Fertility has created the time and space
for elevated engagement between you and your physician. The high
touch nature of our practice feels both exclusive and familiar.
