Intrauterine insemination Health Dictionary

Use of the SEMEN of an anonymous donor to produce fertilisation in cases of INFERTILITY where the male partner has OLIGOSPERMIA or IMPOTENCE. The donor is chosen for ethnic and physiognomic similarity to the male partner and is screened for transmissible diseases

(e.g. HIV, syphilis, hepatitis, gonorrhoea, and genetic disorders). Insemination is performed at the time of ovulation by introducing the semen into the upper vagina. Semen may be fresh or have been stored frozen in liquid nitrogen. (See ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION.)... donor insemination

The ejaculation of SEMEN in the VAGINA in the act of sexual intercourse. In ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION the semen is placed there by the use of an instrument. (See also ASSISTED CONCEPTION.)... insemination

A form of assisted conception in which semen is introduced artificially into the uterus, instead of by sexual intercourse, with the aim of inducing pregnancy.

There are 2 types of artificial insemination: , artificial insemination with the semen of the woman’s male partner; and , insemination with a donor’s sperm. is usually used for couples who are unable to have intercourse, or if the man has a low sperm count or a low volume of ejaculate. It is also used when semen has been stored from a man prior to treatment (such as chemotherapy) that has made him sterile. is available to couples if the man is infertile or is a carrier of a genetic disease. It may also be used by a woman who wants children but has no male partner.

Insemination is timed to coincide with natural ovulation or may be combined with treatment to stimulate ovulation.... artificial insemination

See IUD.... intrauterine contraceptive device

A mechanical device, commonly a coil, inserted into the UTERUS to prevent CONCEPTION, probably by interfering with the implantation of the EMBRYO. For many women, IUCDs are an e?ective and acceptable form of contraception, although only about 10 per cent of women in the UK use them. The devices are of various shapes and made of plastic or copper; most have a string that passes through the cervix and rests in the vagina.

About one-third of women have adverse effects as the result of IUCD use: common ones are backache and heavy menstrual bleeding (see MENSTRUATION). The frequency of unwanted pregnancies is about 2 per 100 women-years of use. (See CONTRACEPTION.)... intrauterine contraceptive device (iucd)

Poor growth in a fetus, usually resulting from a failure of the placenta to provide adequate nutrients (often related to pre-eclampsia) or sometimes from a fetal defect. Severe maternal disease, such as chronic kidney failure, can reduce fetal growth. Fetal problems such as an intrauterine infection or genetic disorder can also impair growth. Smoking during pregnancy may reduce fetal growth and birth weight.

Intrauterine growth retardation may be suspected on antenatal examination;... intrauterine growth retardation

death of a fetus in the uterus after 24 weeks of gestation. See stillbirth.... intrauterine fetal death

(IUGR, fetal growth restriction) failure of a fetus to achieve its growth potential, resulting in the birth of a baby whose birth weight is abnormally low in relation to its gestational age (see small for gestational age). Causes include *uteroplacental insufficiency, maternal disease (e.g. infection, malnutrition, high blood pressure, smoking, and alcoholism), poor socioeconomic conditions, multiple pregnancy (e.g. twins), and fetal disease or chromosomal abnormalities. It may be associated with *preterm birth.... intrauterine growth restriction

see IUS.... intrauterine system

(Suzi) a method of assisting conception in cases of infertility caused by the inability of the spermatozoa to penetrate the barriers surrounding the ovum. Using *in vitro fertilization techniques, a small number of spermatozoa (no more than six) are injected through the *zona pellucida into the perivitelline space (which surrounds the egg membrane). If fertilization subsequently occurs, the blastocyst is implanted in the mother’s uterus.... subzonal insemination