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.