ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To identify the prognostic factors for pregnancy after intrauterine insemination with the husband's sperm (IUI-H). DESIGN: Retrospective study. SETTING: A single university medical center. PATIENT(S): 851 couples, for 2,019 IUI-H cycles. INTERVENTION(S): After controlled ovarian stimulation, IUI-H performed 36 hours after ovulation triggering or 24 hours after a spontaneous luteinizing hormone (LH) surge. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Clinical pregnancy rate per cycle (PR) and delivery rate per cycle (DR). RESULT(S): The overall PR was 14.8% and DR 10.8%. Higher PR and DR were observed for patients presenting with ovulation disorders (particularly polycystic ovary syndrome) or with male infertility. Secondary infertility in the woman appeared to be a positive prognostic factor as did a basal follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) level ≤ 7 IU/L and ovulation triggering over spontaneous LH rise. The other parameters influencing the results were the women's age, the number of mature follicles obtained (≥ 2), the endometrial thickness (10-11 mm), and the number of progressive motile spermatozoa inseminated (>1 million). CONCLUSION(S): In women aged ≤ 38 years, IUI-H should be considered as an option, particularly in cases of female infertility from ovulation disorders, in cases of a normal ovarian reserve, in cases of secondary infertility, or when ≥ 1 million progressive sperm are inseminated. Bifollicular stimulation is required. In other cases, in vitro fertilization should be discussed as the first-line treatment.
