Number of Vials?
paulah
Posts: 2
Hi. I'm new at this, so apologize for the ignorant question or if I posted this in the wrong place.
I have read on several threads here that you should try using only one (or maybe two) vials of sperm at a time for frozen IUI, but a friend told me that when she did fresh IUI they used all the sperm that was gathered that day (presumably more than two vials) from her husband.
My question is: why not use more vials for frozen IUI? Wouldn't doing this increase the chance of becoming pregnant? Or is the deal that each additional vial only increases the chances a small amount? So if you have fresh sperm from your husband you might as well use all of it, but if you're paying for frozen sperm from a donor it's more cost-effective to try one vial one day and then save the second for later?
Thanks!
I have read on several threads here that you should try using only one (or maybe two) vials of sperm at a time for frozen IUI, but a friend told me that when she did fresh IUI they used all the sperm that was gathered that day (presumably more than two vials) from her husband.
My question is: why not use more vials for frozen IUI? Wouldn't doing this increase the chance of becoming pregnant? Or is the deal that each additional vial only increases the chances a small amount? So if you have fresh sperm from your husband you might as well use all of it, but if you're paying for frozen sperm from a donor it's more cost-effective to try one vial one day and then save the second for later?
Thanks!
0
Comments
Excellent question!
First, it's important to note that using frozen donor sperm is different from using fresh sperm from an intimate partner. It's not like comparing apples to apples.
Numerous studies have shown that when doing IUIs with donor sperm, pregnancy rates are maximized at 5 million motile sperm. This means that 5 million motile sperm offer the same chance of success as 25 million motile sperm. Since there's no need to use more than 5 million, one vial of donor sperm is more than plenty.
Variables like maternal age, number of treatment cycles, number of mature follicles, cycle day for insemination, and occurrence of ovulation at the time of the insemination affect the outcome of IUIs with donor sperm. Timing is very important, which is why some clinics may inseminate patients on two different days. In that circumstance, two vials would be necessary.
When you're starting the process, it's also important to keep in mind that even getting pregnant naturally isn't as easy as most would think. According to ASRM (American Society for Reproductive Medicine), a healthy, fertile 30-year-old woman has a 20% chance of getting pregnant each month that she tries. Although we always hope that you become pregnant quickly, on average it takes about 3-4 IUIs to achieve pregnancy.
Also, just to give you a little info about our sperm donors, less than 1% of applicants are accepted into our donor program. Our lab looks for specimen quality that's in the top 15-20% of the male population. It takes about 3-4 months for an applicant to go through all of the testing and screening before we accept him into our program.
You can read more about our screening process here: https://cryobank.com/How-It-Works/Donor-Qualification/
Regards,
Nicole
CCB