The Use of Ultrasound during Intrauterine Insemination in Unexplained Infertility May Improve Pregnancy Outcomes

Objective

To investigate the role of ultrasound guidance in intrauterine insemination (IUI).

Materials and Methods

A retrospective study was conducted. The data was collected from the records of 197 couples with unexplained infertility who underwent IUI with a total of 267 IUI cycles in the in vitro fertilization center of our hospital between January 2009 and December 2010.

Results

Of the 267 IUI cycles, 145 were carried out as US-guided, while 122 cycles IUI were performed with a blind procedure. In the US-guided IUI and blinded IUI groups, the pregnancy rates were 23.4 and 13.9%, respectively. The difference between the groups was statistically significant (p = 0.049), thereby indicating that US guidance improves pregnancy rates. In the US-guided IUI group, 9.7% of the cases were difficult, while in the blinded IUI group, 26.2% were difficult and the difference between the groups was also statistically significant (p < 0.001).

Conclusion

US guidance in IUI improves pregnancy rates and reduces the frequency of difficult IUI.Key Words: Intrauterine insemination, Ultrasound, Pregnancy rate, Unexplained infertility