Have a baby by insemination

Insemination is a method of assisted reproduction (artificial insemination), which - taking place in the woman's body - for example, in contrast to in vitro fertilization. When the insemination, the male sperm is introduced directly instrumental in the genital tract of women. The treatment is performed by a physician and is completely decoupled from the intercourse of a couple.

Forms of artificial insemination
Preparation
Expiration
Applications
Financial and legal aspects of artificial insemination
Complications and risks
Alternatives

Forms of artificial insemination

Is used for insemination, the sperm of the partner's own, it is a homologous insemination. Where the sperm of a donor's use, one speaks of a heterologous (Donor) insemination or even a cross-pollination. While the biological parents are also in the homologous insemination, the social parents are in the heterologous insemination, the mother and the sperm donor, the genetic parents. The partner of the woman is valid in this case as a social father.

Seed transfers are performed relatively frequently and are considered the most common method of artificial insemination. We distinguish between various forms of artificial insemination - depending on where are deposited the sperm in the woman's body.

    Intrauterine insemination (IUI):
    The sperm are in this technique with a flexible catheter is injected directly into the uterus. IUI is often combined with hormone treatment.

    Intrafallopian insemination (ITI):
    So that the sperm have to travel a shorter path to the egg, they are injected directly into the fallopian tubes. The ITI is an alternative to IUI if only a small number of sperm present.

    Kappeninsemination:
    With a special cap with this method, the sperm are placed directly in front of the cervix. This method is used only rarely.

    Intracervical insemination (ICI):
    Here the sperm is directly injected into the cervix (cervical = cervix). Also, this method is used only rarely.


Which method of insemination is performed, the attending physician will decide on the basis of individual circumstances.

Preparation

Insemination follows a treatment plan. At the beginning of the ovaries are stimulated and thus triggered ovulation. Next comes the actual transmission of semen. What steps are carried out depends on your personal circumstances.

Although it is possible to perform an artificial insemination in natural cycle of a woman, but this has proved in many cases as unsuccessful. It is therefore recommended always to combine insemination with ovarian stimulation. To this end, the maturation of the follicles with clomiphene or FSH (follicle stimulating hormone) stimulates. Once a follicle has reached a diameter of about 17 to 20 millimeters, the natural ovulation or be waiting by the administration of the hormone hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) artificially induced.

Access so that only the best sperm into the uterus, the sperm is processed before the insemination and separated the less mobile of the good motile sperm. In addition, through the sperm often an artificial maturation process. The treated sperm must be kept relatively soon after the administration of the hormone hCG, since ovulation in already about 35 hours later.

When the sperm of a donor insemination should be used before the treatment is of course the choice of suitable donor sperm from a sperm bank. There the sperm in liquid nitrogen is stored until its use, and deep frozen (cryopreservation).

Expiration

The insemination is a painless treatment and is comparable with a gynecological examination. It is performed on an examination chair or a couch. The partner can be present during the insemination.

At the time of ovulation, the prepared sperm are brought into a catheter. The soft, flexible plastic tube is then inserted into the vagina of the woman and pushed further to the place where the sperm are to remain. Here the sperm is injected slowly. Then the catheter is removed. Because the sperm are well distributed, the woman remains for some time lying on the examination chair.

When Kappeninsemination no catheter is inserted, but brought the seeds with a cap in front of the cervix. The cap keeps the seed at its destination and prevents the liquid drained from the body of the woman. After about one to two hours, the woman can remove the cap independently again.

Since the insemination is performed in the mid-cycle, a pregnancy test 14 days later to give information about the success of treatment. Alternatively, you can wait until the menstrual period.

Insemination generally leads immediately to a pregnancy. Often requiring multiple attempts are necessary. After a year, about 80 percent of women pregnant after insemination - up to 60 percent of them within the first three treatment cycles. Adjusts itself after several treatments, no cure, one must assume that this method provides for the couple is no prospect of success.

Applications

Insemination can be attempted under certain conditions:

    If an insufficient number of sperm being produced, they are not mobile enough or many malformed sperm are present.
    If the man can not perform sexual intercourse.
    If a fault exists in the uterus.
    When passing a genetic disease to be avoided (heterologous insemination).


Financial and legal aspects of artificial insemination

Measures for artificial insemination in Germany are part of the health insurance benefits. The statutory and private health insurance companies cover the cost of investigation in which the reason for infertility is found.

In an insemination with hormonal stimulation takes over half of the statutory health insurance costs for up to three medical treatments and medications. In an insemination without hormonal stimulation of the half to eight treatments, and the needed drugs are taken.

The cost of acquisition is generally tied to certain conditions. For example, the couple must be married, both partners must not no younger than 25, the man no older than 50 and women older than 40 years old. In addition, there must be a valid for the woman rubella protection and both partners must be HIV negative. If a donor of the semen used in this treatment contribute, so the couple is the cost of this in the rule itself. For details on individual cases should be discussed with your own health insurance.

Also, unmarried couples, it is generally possible to have carried out the techniques of assisted reproduction. This requires, among other things, the relationship to be stable and in none of the two must exist a marriage with a former partner. The statutory health insurance does not the cost of treatment for unmarried persons.

Children who were conceived by donor insemination to have, after the age of 18 Age the right to know it, from whom they descended. Therefore, in Germany, the anonymity of a sperm donor can not be guaranteed.

Complications and risks

When mature by stimulation treatment for more than three eggs, the risk of multiple pregnancy is increased. Therefore, in this case should not be carried out artificial insemination.

With the use of donor sperm can result in transmission of infection to come to the recipient. Moreover it can not be excluded that the donor transfers the child to genetic diseases.

In addition to the physical stress, which brings with it a hormonal treatment, the therapy can also have a strong psychological impact of the couple to follow. This is especially true if the treatment is carried out over a longer period of time and a great part of life after investigation or inspection appointments with the doctor needs to be aligned.

Also, the use of donor sperm for insemination lead to conflicts in the partnership. Therefore, the heterologous insemination is always recommended except in very stable relationships.

Alternatives

Alternative insemination result from the physical conditions of the couple with infertility. If the failure is due insemination, for example in the closure of a Fallopian tube, an in-vitro fertilization or intracytoplasmic sperm injection Intraycytoplasmatische be tried.