artificial insemination

Information on artificial insemination

What is artificial insemination?

Artificial insemination is a medical procedure that is intended to bring about pregnancy without sexual intercourse.

10-15% of couples in Germany are involuntarily childless. After more than 12 months of unprotected regular sexual intercourse without pregnancy, this is referred to as infertility. For these couples, artificial insemination is an option.

But individuals without a partner can also consider artificial insemination if they do not have a suitable partner at the time they want to have children.

What are the requirements for artificial insemination?

Before artificial insemination, the causes of infertility must be clarified. Once it has been found out why the desire to have children has not yet been fulfilled, the causes can initially be treated with conservative treatments. This includes a change in lifestyle in terms of diet, exercise, tobacco and alcohol consumption.

Additionally, advice on the woman's fertile days can help her to become pregnant. Only after these conservative measures have failed or a physical disorder is the cause can artificial insemination measures be considered.

In Germany, there are strict legal requirements for artificial insemination. A basic requirement is marriage between the partners. If this is not the case, the matter must be described in detail to an ethics committee. Lesbian couples and single women must present their matter to the ethics committee so that it can be classified as ethically unobjectionable before artificial insemination is permitted.

Methods of artificial insemination

In external artificial insemination, eggs are removed from the woman and combined with the sperm of the sperm donor in a test tube. After successful fertilization, the embryo is inserted into the woman's uterus in the multicellular stage for implantation. There are two methods for bringing sperm and egg together:

In vitro fertilization (IVF): Sperm are simply placed in the test tube and must "find their own way" to the egg

Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI): Sperm are injected directly into the egg. This method is usually used for sperm with limited mobility.

In internal artificial insemination, the sperm are brought into the female body. This method is called insemination. The most common procedure is the injection of the sperm into the open vagina. In the intrauterine variant, the sperm are introduced directly into the uterus.

Chances of success with artificial insemination

The average success rates of IVF and ICSI are around 15 to 20 percent for each treatment cycle. However, since the individual chances of success vary greatly, thorough medical advice and diagnosis are important.

Costs for artificial insemination Please contact IMS and you will receive comprehensive information about the costs.