Artificial Insemination for Single Women

Nowadays many single women especially in their late 30s and early 40s who desire to have babies, are opting for the most talked about method of conception, called artificial insemination. Such women either because they have been unable to find the right man or because their partners are against parenthood, resort to a technique called artificial insemination for having babies. Quite often these women fearing their advancing age and ability to conceive, prefer not to wait and undergo artificial insemination process to have babies. Artificial insemination for single women is not only common in women between age group of 30 and 40 but even young women having infertile partners or are single and desire to have children are also opting for this alternative method of conception. But what is artificial insemination and how it is done, let us first try to understand through this article.

Artificial Insemination

Artificial insemination (AI), is a fertilization technique in which the sperm is artificially introduced into a woman's cervix or uterus. Considered to be one of the most effective infertility treatment, in this the woman's menstrual cycle is closely monitored using ovarian kits, ultrasounds, and blood tests and the sperm is inserted only when the woman is ovulating. The semen before implanting is 'washed' in a laboratory to remove unwanted harmful chemicals, hence improving the chances of fertilization. The semen is then inserted into the woman's reproductive tract using a thin, flexible tube and if the entire procedure is performed successfully, she conceives. However, single women artificial insemination success rate also depends on the type of fertility problem treated, if any, and the age of the patient.

Unlike, most married women who choose to be inseminated with their husbands' sperm, single women have to opt for a process called artificial insemination by donor (AID), where the sperm is taken from an unknown donor. This method is also adopted by women having partners but suffering male infertility. Basically, there are two main types of artificial insemination: intrauterine insemination (IUI) and intracervical insemination (ICI). Being one of the most commonly performed insemination technique, ICI is relatively quick, inexpensive and painless procedure in which the donor sperm is deposited directly in to the cervix, and from there it makes its way through the uterus and fallopian tubes to fertilize the egg. IUI is commonly practiced on couples with infertility problems like sperm deficiencies or cervical mucus problems. In this method, the sperm is directly placed in to the uterus or fallopian tubes, hence producing high fertilization success rates. These two artificial insemination options for single women can be performed by a reproductive specialist at any fertility clinic.

Artificial Insemination for Single Women

Though some people must be thinking single women artificial insemination is an easy task, one of the major obstacles that a single woman has to deal with is the opinions of others. With some people believing that a child should be brought in to the world, having both a mother and a father around. While others believe that a woman should undergo artificial insemination only if she or her partner is having some infertility problems. Moreover, some physicians and reproductive clinics are quite unsupportive regarding a woman desiring to have a child by her own.

Besides this, a single woman planning to have baby through artificial insemination, needs to be prepared financially. This is because a health insurance doesn't cover the procedure and the costs can range from $1,000 to $5,000 for intrauterine insemination (IUI), and for more complicated procedures, such as in vitro fertilization, range from $25,000 to $75,000. However, to overcome such negativity of others, it's important for any single mom to develop a support system including family, friends and health care professionals that encourage her decision. Moreover, registration in a Department of Social Services, can help by providing a single mother with necessary assistance regarding child care, reasonable food programs, housing, schooling, etc. which will surely be reasons to worry for any responsible single mother.

Though artificial insemination for single women is slowly gaining acceptance in our society, sometimes it is still difficult for a woman who chooses to have a baby by herself not only to raise the child, but also face and deal with the reactions of others. However, if a woman is happy and capable to give her child the life he/she deserves, she should move ahead with her decision and should face the world with pride and confidence.