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IUI or Intrauterine Insemination works by putting sperm directly into your uterus around the time you’re ovulating, helping the sperm get closer to your egg.
The main difference between IUI and IVF is that with IUI, the fertilization of the egg takes place internally and not in a fertility laboratory. It is minimally invasive and the most affordable form of assisted reproduction available.
IUI can be used for those with functioning fallopian tubes but who have had difficulty falling pregnant naturally. This means having unprotected sex for a period of 12 months, or in some cases for 6 months. IUI is also often used in cases where donor sperm is needed for either an individual or couple wishing to become pregnant.
Under the care of our fertility team, the woman is given oral and injectable fertility medications to stimulate her ovaries to produce one to two egg containing follicles. Medication is taken for approximately 12 days depending on your protocol and how your body responds to treatment.
The number and size of the developing follicles is measured by trans-vaginal ultrasound scans. The more eggs you release, the higher the chance of a multiple pregnancy- this is why your fertility doctor will aim for just one or two mature eggs through your treatment.
The final preparation for ovulation involves a hormone injection which mimics the natural trigger for ovulation. Insemination will take place the day after this injection.
In a normal menstrual cycle, only one egg is released. In an IUI cycle you are helping the follicles to produce healthy and mature eggs with the assistance of medication.
Once it is confirmed that a ripe egg is present you will take a ‘trigger injection’ which is a hormone that causes you to ovulate. This injection will help your body to release the mature egg from the follicle, ready for fertilisation.
At this point if you are doing IUI with a male partner, he will provide a sperm sample which is then processed, cleaned and prepared by our laboratory. This ensures that only the healthiest sperm cells are ready for the insemination and that they are concentrated into a small volume.
If you are using donor sperm, the same procedure will be used but from a frozen sperm sample which will be thawed before use.
The insemination itself is very simple. It is not unlike having a smear test and for most people it is only mildly uncomfortable. You do not need to be under any sedation and it will only take 10 minutes or less.
A catheter is inserted directly through the cervix and millions of motile sperm are pushed through directly into the uterus. The catheter is then removed and you can go about your day as normal.
Under the care of our fertility team, the woman is given oral and injectable fertility medications to stimulate her ovaries to produce one to two egg containing follicles. Medication is taken for approximately 12 days depending on your protocol and how your body responds to treatment.
The number and size of the developing follicles is measured by trans-vaginal ultrasound scans. The more eggs you release, the higher the chance of a multiple pregnancy- this is why your fertility doctor will aim for just one or two mature eggs through your treatment.
The final preparation for ovulation involves a hormone injection which mimics the natural trigger for ovulation. Insemination will take place the day after this injection.
In a normal menstrual cycle, only one egg is released. In an IUI cycle you are helping the follicles to produce healthy and mature eggs with the assistance of medication.
Once it is confirmed that a ripe egg is present you will take a ‘trigger injection’ which is a hormone that causes you to ovulate. This injection will help your body to release the mature egg from the follicle, ready for fertilisation.
At this point if you are doing IUI with a male partner, he will provide a sperm sample which is then processed, cleaned and prepared by our laboratory. This ensures that only the healthiest sperm cells are ready for the insemination and that they are concentrated into a small volume.
If you are using donor sperm, the same procedure will be used but from a frozen sperm sample which will be thawed before use.
The insemination itself is very simple. It is not unlike having a smear test and for most people it is only mildly uncomfortable. You do not need to be under any sedation and it will only take 10 minutes or less.
A catheter is inserted directly through the cervix and millions of motile sperm are pushed through directly into the uterus. The catheter is then removed and you can go about your day as normal.
Intrauterine insemination (IUI) is a fertility treatment aimed at increasing the likelihood of sperm successfully fertilizing an egg. This medical intervention has the potential to improve the chances of pregnancy for select couples and individuals.
If an IUI does not result in a successful pregnancy after 3 attempts, our doctor will usually suggest moving to an IVF cycle. In certain cases, this may be sooner.
Yes, for many patients IUI can help them to become pregnant. It does however have lower rates of success than IVF/ICSI and so many choose to go directly to IVF. For those wishing to undergo a less invasive treatment, IUI is often a good starting point.
You must be 18 or older in order to do an IUI.
From the very start when we reached out for some advice to today holding our baby girl, the staff at Therapie have been amazing! Whether it was after our 1st, 2nd or even 3rd cycle, through the good times n not so good times there was always someone at the end of the phone or email to talk things through with you. The first appt answered so many questions we had and from there on really helped us understand the whole progress more. Couldn't recommend them enough and have done to many of my friends and work colleagues.
Big thanks from Ariana and ofcourse from happy Mama and Daddy for great experience to all staff members of fertility clinic carrickmines from reception up to top !!!
We cannot speak highly enough of the exceptional care we received from everyone at Therapie Fertility. We first visited for fertility testing and chose to continue our journey with them through IUI and eventually IVF. Every appointment was met with a warm, friendly welcome, and over time we got to know all the nurses and Dr. Kennedy so well. Communication through the patient portal was clear and convenient, which made the process even smoother. We were incredibly fortunate to achieve success and now have a beautiful baby boy. We’ve already recommended Therapie Fertility to friends on similar journeys. Thank you so much for everything!
My experience at Therapie has been nothing but positive! All the doctors and nurses were absolutely amazing. I started my fertility journey with therapie February 2024 as a solo mother by choice and I couldn’t have chosen a better clinic to start my journey. Lisa the nurse in Galway was nothing but outstanding throughout my time with her. Her professionalism and kindness towards her patients and the communication via the portal always gave me reassurance on any questions I had throughout the whole process. I now have my beautiful baby boy and forever grateful for all at therapie for helping to make my dream come true of becoming a mammy to my beautiful baby boy who I welcomed the beginning of October 2025 🩵
Thérapie Fertility has been a place of genuine care and compassion from the very beginning. The team consistently offered thoughtful support, always taking the time to listen and understand our needs. Every appointment felt personal, never rushed, and centred on what was best for us not just medically, but emotionally too. Their honesty and transparency stood out explaining each step clearly, never giving false promises, but always giving us grounded, realistic hope. We always felt informed, supported, and reassured throughout the entire process. Thanks to their expertise and heartfelt approach, we now have two beautiful children something we once only dreamed of. We are deeply grateful for the way they cared for us, shared our sadness and our joy!
Me and my partner have nothing but good things to say about therapie fertility, from the minute we stepped inside it was nothing but calm, comfort and endless knowledge from the doctors and nurses! We were made feel very comfortable and we left that first free consultation with so much confidence, in less than a year from the first meeting we fell pregnant and now have a beautiful baby boy now! We can’t thank you enough!!
I want to thank everyone in Thérapie for my wonderful experience from start to finish. Last year on the 27th of August I walked into their Dundalk clinic and spoke with Amy, she answered every question I had and I left with such hope, knowing I didn’t need to look anywhere else, this clinic was for me. Everyone at every stage of this journey I’m so grateful for. This year on the 27th of August I welcomed my beautiful daughter into the world, as a single mother by choice, after suffering heartbreaking losses long the way. I couldn’t have done it without Thérapie and the team. I would happily recommend them to anyone needing assistance on their fertility journey.
It would be remiss of me to give anything other than 5 stars for this review since we had one cycle of reciprocal IVF (my eggs were removed, fertilized and one embryo was implanted into partner) which resulted in the birth of health identical twin babies. We had used another clinic before (and had a successful pregnancy) but weren’t entirely happy with the service received. We felt dr Kennedy was straight talking, realistic, and pragmatic as well as very down to earth. He gave us a very clear clinical plan & the rest was organized by the nurses and admin staff. If I was pushed to provide constructive feedback, I’d say that the pricing for the “complete reciprocal package” was a little ambiguous as there were a few of times we were surprised with being asked to pay €100 here and there without explanation (when challenged this, the additional cost was revoked which was appreciated). In summary, we found the whole experience very professional, friendly and efficient, and was the best investment we’ve ever made 🩷
