Comparative Study between Timed Intercourse and Intrauterine Insemination in Ovulation Stimulated Cycles in Unexplained Infertile Couples

ABSTRACT

Background and Objectives: It cannot be stressed enough that infertility is a problem of the couple and not an individualalone. IUI as a mode of artificial insemination is widely used in treating couples with unexplained infertility. The present studywas done with the objective of comparing the effectiveness of TI and IUI with husband’s sperm in couples with unexplainedinfertility undergoing superovulation with clomiphene.Methodology: In this cross-over study, a total of 60 couples with unexplained infertility were subjected to controlled ovarianhyperstimulation with clomiphene and prospectively randomized to receive either TI (Group A) or IUI (Group B). The groupswere interchanged when pregnancy was not achieved in either group after three cycles of each intervention.Results: A positive pregnancy test was seen in both IUI and TI after cross-over. There were seven pregnancies (four in IUI andthree in TI), out of which 6 (85.71%) were viable pregnancies, while one was non-viable (14.29%). Both IUI and TI had threeviable pregnancies each. The one non-viable pregnancy was from the IUI group.Interpretation and Conclusions: The findings of the present study showed that both TI and IUI are effective treatment modalitiesfor women with unexplained infertility. Although the addition of IUI to ovulation induction does increase the cycle fecundability,it does not improve the fecundity.