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Follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) stimulates the ovary to make
mature eggs, and it is used to stimulate the development of multiple
follicles in women undergoing assisted reproductive technology treatments
(ART). This medication may also be used to induce ovulation in women
for certain types of ovarian dysfunction.
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To receive this hormone, you must do Subcutaneous
(in the thigh or abdomen) or Intramuscular
(in your buttocks) injections.
While using FSH to encourage an ovum to
release from the ovaries, we will introduce semen into the uterus
via Intra-Uterine Insemination.
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Intra-Uterine insemination, or IUI, refers to the placement of
sperm directly into the uterus, just where the fallopian tubes begin.
It is a relatively simple treatment for infertility designed to
get more sperm to meet the egg.
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The male partner will be asked to provide a semen sample about
one to two hours before the insemination. This is done by masturbating
into a sterile container at the doctor's office, or at home, if
preferable. The semen is then processed, or washed, to separate
the sperm from the seminal fluid. This concentrates the sperm into
a small volume.
The washed, or processed sperm is placed high in the uterus using
a thin, soft catheter. Many women find the procedure similar to
having a PAP smear.
If you do not become pregnant, IUI may be repeated several times.
Approximately 25% of women who undergo IUI conceive. The pregnancy
rate from IUI depends on sperm quality and ovarian factors, such
as age and response to fertility medications.
The risks and side effects of IUI include abdominal cramps or
spotting. Also, the use of fertility drugs may increase your risk
for multiple pregnancies and developing ovarian hyperstimulation
syndrome (OHSS), a condition in which your ovaries swell to several
times their size and leak fluid into your abdomen causing weight
gain, a bloated feeling, and sometimes shortness of breath, dizziness,
pelvic pain, nausea, and vomiting. OHSS happens when a woman over-responds
to fertility drugs and produces too many eggs.
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