Insemination Treatment Procedure

The woman attends the Canberra Fertility Centre for blood tests and ultrasound monitoring to ascertain the time of ovulation. Insemination is performed usually once, just prior to the time of ovulation.

Normally fresh semen is used for artificial insemination. The male partner provides a sample of sperm at the Canberra Fertility Centre, which is prepared for treatment. A speculum is inserted into the vagina, as for a PAP smear, and a fine tube is passed into the cervix, through which the sperm is injected. Normally, the insemination procedure will be carried out by the nurse coordinator. The woman can then resume her normal activities after treatment (eg return to work). Blood tests are usually requested by her specialist to monitor the hormone changes in the second half of the cycle and to determine the outcome.

If a pregnancy has not occurred within 3-6 insemination cycles, the treatment may be reviewed and sometimes the patient will be advised to take fertility drugs such as hormone tablets or daily injections.

If the male partner is out of town regularly it may be useful to have some of his sperm cryopreserved (frozen) at the Canberra Fertility Centre. The artificial insemination treatment can then proceed on the days when the male partner is absent. The sperm is stored in “straws” in liquid nitrogen and thawed before insemination, then inserted as if using fresh semen.