Ok, I’ll let out my frustrated teacher, as requested. 
But, I’ll leave the diagrams at home for this one. First, some resources (I do have these):
Stirrup Queens and Sperm Palace Jesters IUI writeup
IUI stands for intrauterine insemination. It is often used to boost the chances of conception. For unexplained infertility it is often combined with superovulation. The process would be similar to what I’m doing now, except instead of going in mid-month to be told when the right times are, I would go in mid-month and figure out when to go back for the IUI. Some advantages to IUI is that before the procedure, the sperm is washed. Washing the sperm gets rid of any of the sub-optimal sperm. I just read here that the seminal fluid is replaced with a nutrient bath. After the washing you’re left with a small amount of fluid with lots of good sperm. In IUI, this fluid will bypass the cervix and be placed directly into the uterus by way of a catheter. This is a second advantage. Sometimes the cervical environment may be hostile to sperm, so this method would get rid of that component, plus they have less distance to go to the fallopian tubes, causing more sperm possibly available to fertilize the egg when it is released.
IUI is a pretty common procedure. It is used to treat unexplained fertility, as well as several cases of explained. One such case would be a couple with slight male factor infertility. Washing the sperm and placing it close to the tubes would increase these couples’ odds. I think typically this procedure is used before proceeding to IVF. Sometimes though, as in the case of a severe male factor, this step would be bypassed. A sperm count needs to be typically at least 5 million (some doctors may go down to 1 million, from the IUI FAQ above) to do IUI because a certain percentage of sperm is lost in the washing process. If the count is too low, there may not be enough sperm after the washing to perform the IUI. I think they decide this using statistics and such.
In summary, for IUI + superovulation you have more eggs and more good sperm available = increased odds of conception. It is very commonly used to treat unexplained infertility.
Next question?
So if IUI is fairly common, does that mean it’s not as expensive? I know IVF is the big $$$ and most insurances don’t cover it. Is IUI covered?
IUI is not covered by our insurance, but it is relatively inexpensive (think several hundred as opposed to many thousands). It is inexpensive enough that we are comfortable with doing three IUI cycles if necessary. We will be budgeting that into our flex spending account for the year, so it should be really not that difficult to cover. It is considered an ART (assisted reproductive technology) procedure, so most insurances probably don’t cover it either, just like IVF.
:chuckle: Thanks for the education, dear.
Our RE charges $400 for an IUI cycle with Femara. The Femara itself was $80, the HCG (if needed) was $185. Icky, but not over the top. Let’s hope Femara alone will do the trick!!!
That makes sense. It seems I remembered $320 quoted on the phone when I started this process (price probably did not include the drugs?). The femara is covered by my prescription drug plan, so I pay $35 for it. The HCG, or any other injectable is probably not covered, though I’m not sure. Last time I didn’t need the HCG trigger, and hopefully I will continue to not need it. I am a major needle-phobe and don’t know how well I’d handle having to either give myself an injection or get Rick to do it!
Geof, was it TMI? I’m not sure I could have educated you as well without getting TMI.
Ok, you guys didn’t leave me another question! At least not one that I can write in depth on.
Jessica: It’s not TMI. I asked.
Also, I don’t know that I have any more questions at this point. I will ask them as they occur, here or in person.
Geof, fair enough.
Of course, if you ask in person I may have to quote the question and answer here as well.