INTRAUTERINE INSEMINATION FOR CERVICAL AND MALE FACTOR WITHOUT SUPEROVULATION

Intrauterine insemination (IUI) has been used for the treatment of var ious causes of infertility, including unexplained infertility, male fa ctor, and cervical factor. Some centers frequently use superovulation combined with IUI. The study presented herein attempted to evaluate th e efficacy of IUI without superovulation in cases where all causes of infertility other than cervical or male factors have been eliminated. However, in the case of poor or absent cervical mucus, the use of cont rolled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH) may obscure the actual importanc e of the IUI, since it is possible that the poor cervical mucus is rel ated to poor timing, inadequate follicular maturation, or low estradio l levels, which if corrected will obviate the need for IUI. In this st udy IUI was targeted for 36-40 h following the sera luteinizing hormon e surge. A total of 108 patients were enrolled in this study: 47 with male factor, 61 with cervical factor. Patients were followed for a max imum of three cycles unless a pregnancy occurred within 3 months of tr eatment. Comparison of pregnancy rates (PRs) were based on diagnosis. The cumulative PRs per cycle for each of the three cycles studied were as follows: cervical factor-19.7, 36.8, and 36.8%; male factor-12.8, 29.3, and 38.3%. Thus, PRs were comparable for both groups after three treatment cycles. These data demonstrate that IUI is an effective the rapy for cervical and/or male factor, even without superovulation.