Artificial Insemination Cost

Artificial Insemination (AI) is a technique which helps the couples to conceive, who are unable to do so through sexual intercourse. It involves different techniques in which the male's sperm is inserted into the woman's genital tract artificially. It is conducted when the woman is most likely to ovulate, as it improves the chances of the treatment leading to conception. AI is carried out by injecting semen into the top of the vagina or uterus with the help of a small plastic tube. The two most common types of artificial insemination are:

• Intracervical Insemination (ICI): This process of insemination is simple and easy to perform. The semen is injected into the top of the vagina, quite often through a plastic cap which is placed in the vagina to keep the sperm near the cervix.
• Intrauterine Insemination (IUI): This insemination is more successful than other AI techniques, as it places the sperm close to the fallopian tubes. The process is fast and painless, in which the sperms are washed before being placed in the uterus. This is done as the neat semen can cause intense uterine pain, cramps, and in rare cases, fainting in the patient. After washing, the sperms are incubated and then placed in the uterus.

What is the Cost of Artificial Insemination

Artificial insemination is an expensive procedure that involves cost related to the fertility treatment, necessary tests, consultations, main procedure, and follow-up. The prime factors influencing the artificial insemination cost are:

• Investigation and diagnosis
• Drug therapy
• AI procedure (IUI procedure is typically less expensive than ICI procedure)
• Hospital stay expenses

Cost of artificial insemination mainly depends upon the medical condition of the patient, and also the fertility clinic the patient goes to. If the woman is allergic to sperms or has a partner having a low sperm count, she may be given fertility drugs before the process actually starts. Sometimes, drugs are also given to stimulate ovulation in the woman, and the ovulation kit is used to detect when she is ovulating. Quite often, some clinics require testing to detect whether the patient's fallopian tubes are blocked or not. Along with these factors, the cost of testing the sperm for any STD, ultrasound, sperm washing, cost of medication, doctor's visits, etc., all add up to the cost of artificial insemination. Another variable that adds to the price is matching of donor which is around $80 in case a male's sperm count is low for some reason, apart from the cost of sperm itself. The insemination usually costs somewhere between $300 and $500 per attempt. As the possibility of the woman getting pregnant in the first attempt is very rare, repetitive sessions become inevitable, which as a result increases the cost of the artificial insemination. For patients having insurance by some insurance companies, the cost varies between $10 to $30 per visit. Even though the success rate of the entire procedure is fair enough, each session assures only 10-15% chances of pregnancy. As said above, IUI is an effective form of therapy, and can be opted for instead of ICI at the beginning, as it is a simple and less expensive treatment option. If it fails, only then there is a point in opting for more expensive options.

Artificial insemination is successful in nearly 5-30% of cases, and the success rate primarily depends upon the age, sexual health, and cause of infertility. The process takes approximately one hour and involves no pain on the women's part. Though the artificial insemination cost is high, the success rate mainly depends upon the expertise. Hence, it is inexpedient to go for any inexpensive options available.