An open multicenter study to compare the efficacy of intraperitoneal insemination and intrauterine insemination following multiple follicular development as treatment for unexplained infertility

Purpose: This multicenter study was carried out to compare the efficacy of intrauterine insemination (IUI) and intraperitoneal insemination (IPI) associated with multiple follicular development as treatment for unexplained infertility. Method: A total of 205 couples completed the trial. Sixty-seven couples underwent treatment with IPI (group A) and 138 couples underwent treatment with IUI (group B). Results: Clinical pregnancy was obtained in 23 couples in group A (pregnancy rate: 34.3%) and in 36 couples in group B (pregnancy rate: 26.1%). No significant difference was observed between group A and group B. As for the evolution of pregnancies and the incidence of twin pregnancies, no significant difference was observed between the two groups. Conclusions: Because IUI and IPI allow us to obtain same results and IPI is more invasive than IUI, the latter technique can be considered the method of choice and IPI should be used when IUI is difficult to perform, as in the presence of a tight cervical canal. The following persons from the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy, also contributed to the conduct and analysis of the study: V. Mais and A. M. Paoletti.