Artificial Insemination Questions and Answers

Question:

My husband had a vasectomy and now we want another baby. He is willing for me to have artificial insimination done. What will be the cheapest way for me to get pregnant?

Answer:

Dear April Your husband needs to see a urologist first to see if he is even a candidate to have the procedure reversed. Artificial insemination will obviously not work since he has a vasectomy done.

Fady Sharara, M.D
Annandale, VA

Question:

I'm a 30 yrs old im trying to have a baby,i was seeing an Infertility doctor he gave me clomid 5mg five pills onece a day for 5 days.when i went back i showed that i didnt ovulate,he said i needed shots to ovulate,what im trying to do is get artificial insemination but i cant do it till i ovulate.My question is how can i have a child .

Answer:

By following what he/she told you you need. You cannot get pregnant unless you ovulate an egg. good luck Fady I. Sharara, M.D VA Ctr for REprod Med

Fady Sharara, M.D
Annandale, VA

Question:

I am a 30 year old male and my wife and I have been trying to get pregnant for about 3 years now we have both been tested and the doctors says we both check out fine. My wife has been taking Clomid off and on for the last two years and it has not worked yet. My wife had a miscarriage about seven years ago and I was wondering if that could have anything to do with our problem. If not, what else can we do.

Answer:

Dear Terrance Make sure you are seeing a board vertified Infertility Expert and not just a regular OB/GYN. Your wife may need a laparoscopy, and if OK move to injections with artificial insemination. Pls find an expert ASAP Good luck Fady I. Sharara, M.D VA Ctr for Reprod Med

Fady Sharara, M.D
Annandale, VA

Question:

I am researching artificial imsemination, and I was wondering if you could send me information about; the technique that is used, the different types of insemination that are classified as artificial insemination, any diagrams which relate to the topic, and any relevant reproductory information.

Answer:

Dear Elle A good source is www.asrm.org Good luck Fady I. Sharara, M.D VA Ctr for Reprod Med

Fady Sharara, M.D
Annandale, VA

Question:

Hi, I have heard that artificial insemination does not work. My husband had a vasectomy reversal 2 years ago and it did not work. We visited a urologist who said he could either try the reversal again and/or aspirate sperm and freeze it if we would like to try in-vitro. I cannot afford in-vitro and I do not have any infertility problems. The doctor told us that he would not recommend artificial insemination because "it doesn't work anyway". Is this true? Help! Molly

Answer:

Dear Molly Artificial insemination works all right, but it does not sound like u r a candidate for it. IVF sounds like the only answer here, but u need to consult with a board certified Reproductive Endocrinologist before u make any further decisions. Good luck Fady I. Sharara, M.D VCRM

Fady Sharara, M.D
Annandale, VA

Question:

Does artificial insemination risk higher susceptibility to disease?

Answer 1:

Hi Mona, I don't understand your question. Are you asking if it makes you more susceptible to catching diseases in the future? If so, then it shouldn't. If you're asking if it increases the odds of catching a disease at the time of the insemination, then the answer is yes. Hope this helps! Scott Roseff, MD, Director W.E. C.A.R.E. Visit us at www.reproendo.com ======================================== The information herein should be used for educational purposes only, and should never be used as a substitute for medical advice/care by your healthcare provider. Dr. Roseff assumes no responsibility for any actions taken (or not taken) by you due to the information contained herein. =========================================

SCOTT ROSEFF, MD, FACOG, Director
West Orange, NJ

Answer 2:

Dear Mona Not at all. There are no reports it can cause any health effects (other than potentially getting pregnant)! Fady I. Sharara, M.D VCRM

Fady Sharara, M.D
Annandale, VA

Question:

Hello i was wondering what the price ranges are in insemination? I live in Tula and I am wanting to get artificially inseminated but I would like to know all the price ranges?

Answer:

Hi, The price differs from doctor to doctor and state to state. I would have no idea what the fees are in your area and by your fertility specialist. Dr. Roseff, Director W.E. C.A.R.E. Visit us on the web at http://www.reproendo.com =================================================== Since I don't know your entire history and haven't examined you, any medical information given to you may be incomplete or inaccurate. Therefore, Dr. Roseff and his staff can not be responsible for any actions taken or not taken due to the information contained within these communications. These communications are for educational and informational purposes only, and should never be used to replace the information and care rendered by your own doctor. ==================================================

SCOTT ROSEFF, MD, FACOG, Director
West Orange, NJ

Question:

A friend of mine, yes it is for a friend, is curious about artificial insemination. Her question is about how it is done what is the procedure. Is it a surgurey, is something inserted. Any and all information that you could give would be very helpful

Answer:

Hi Lisa, Sperm is "washed" in our lab, drawn up into a thin, flexible plastic catheter, the catheter is inserted through the cervix into the uterus, and the processed sperm is deposited into the fallopian tubes close to the egg. This is all done on the DAY OF ovulation. Hope this helps! Dr. Roseff Visit us at www.reproendo.com

SCOTT ROSEFF, MD, FACOG, Director
West Orange, NJ

Question:

Dear Doctor: I have some questions concerning the area of genetics, in utero fertilization techniques, gynecology, and pregnancy. Firstly, is there a possible threat of muatation of the genes of sex cells caused by radiation such as sunlight, ultraviolet light, fluorescent lights in labs, etc.? I realize that when in utero fertilization techniques are used the sex cells are exposed to a greater quantity of light as compared to non artificial insemination techniques. I am wondering if there are cases of radiation mutation of sex cells used in in- utero fertilization techniques resulting in genetic damage. Secondly, if such a radiation mutation effect is present, is there a greater threat of such mutation of sex cells or zygotes if the mother's vaginal opening is more dilated due to a prior birth or sexual activity? Thirdly, does sexual or other activities which dilates the vaginal opening increase the chance of infections within the vaginal tract? Do activities such as swimming also put females with dilated vaginal openings at an increased risk of vaginal infections? My fourth question is, are pain killers used during non-Caesarean births and how effective are they in decreasing pain during childbirth? How painful is childbirth on average and is there such a thing as a painless delivery? Fifthyly, are non-Caesarean and Caesarean childbirths traumatic for the child? Specifically, I have heard that during the passage through the vaginal tract the child is put under pressure. Is this traumatic for the child? Is the process of making a Caesarean surgical incision traumatic for the child psychologically? Sixthly, I have read that there are uterine contractions during sexual orgasms. Have such contractions resulted in harm to females internally? Do these repeated contractions cause an excessive strengthening of certain muscles resulting in overly strong contractions during childbirth which may cause injuries to the child such as mental retardation?! Have such contractions ever happened while the female was pregnant and if so has it ever caused an accidental abortion or harm to the child within the womb? I realize I am asking many questions and I apologize. I am grateful for any help from you in answering my questions. Finding the answer to these questions are very important to me and to a lot of other people as well I assume. I have asked Doctors some of these questions previously, however, they have not emailed me the answers. I am having a difficult time getting expert information. I am deeply concerned about the answers to these questions and I admit, until I have expert information I would be fearful of engaging myself in such activities as stated in the questions. Please help. I will wait to hear from you within the next four weeks. Thank you. Sincerely yours, John S. Kim

Answer:

Hi, John, This forum is designed for brief questions, and your query is far too involved and time-consuming for a volunteer doctor to answer. If you count your questions, there are actually TWELVE questions (not six). If you prefer to schedule a consultation here, I would be more than glad to take ALL THE TIME YOU NEED and answer each and every question to your satisfaction. If you prefer to limit your inquiry to one, relatively simple question, I would be glad to answer it for you. Thanks!

SCOTT ROSEFF, MD, FACOG, Director
West Orange, NJ

Question:

I understand that the HIV virus does not attach itself onto the sperm cell, I also understand that it is present in the semen that the sperm are in. I have been reading about intrauterine insemenation. I understand that the sperm are washed and removed from the semen, is that correct? If it is correct could I still contract the HIV virus from any remaining traces of semen, because I thought that once the HIV virus was outside the body for more than a few minutes, it dies... I would like to know about the risks involved with artificial insemenation from a man who is HIV+ and a woman who is HIV-? I have no other infertility problems, I just want to know if there is any chance that I will be able to have my husbands child without contracting the HIV virus. We do not have unprotected sex and I am certian we never will, do I need to totally give up on the idea of having my husbands child? I know this is a long question, but I would appreciate your response. thanks April

Answer:

Hi, Thanks for your inquiry! I've copied some information for you, below (without the references). It comes from the following website, and you can view the entire website if you wish: http://hivinsite.ucsf.edu/akb/current/01txbld/index.html#G ================== HIV TRANSMISSION BY ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION Unprocessed Donor Semen Currently, 14 women are known to have been infected with HIV via artificial insemination from anonymous donors: 2 in Italy,(53) 4 in Australia,(54)2 in Canada,(55) and 6 in the United States.(5556) All of these cases of insemination-related infection occurred before the availability of HIV antibody testing. Another woman was HIV infected after insemination of processed sperm from her HIV-seropositive hemophiliac husband.(57) These reports demonstrate that HIV transmission can occur after the use of fresh, cryopreserved or processed sperm. Both intrauterine insemination and cervical insemination result in HIV transmission. Other generalizations about the efficiency of HIV transmission via this route are limited by the retrospective nature of the follow-up, the limited number of infected recipients, and absence of information as to the HIV viral load of the seropositive donors or other host factors in either donor or recipient at the time of insemination. It can be concluded that, before availability of HIV testing, HIV transmission from unrelated semen donors was an infrequent event given the approximate 75,000 women artificially inseminated annually in the United States.(58) Further, these reports demonstrate that heterosexual transmission of HIV can occur in the absence of cervical or vaginal lesions or trauma and in sexual partners free of sexually transmitted disease. Processed Semen from HIV-Positive Males The CDC recommends against insemination from HIV-positive men, but some HIV discordant couples are highly motivated to bear their own children and have used processed semen to reduce the risk of HIV transmission. In a case report from the United States, processing fresh ejaculate by centrifugation to remove cells failed to prevent HIV transmission in that the women seroconverted after artificial insemination.(57) A modification of this technique in Italy, however, appeared successful in preventing transmission.(61) The researchers reported that 29 women were inseminated and none seroconverted. Ten babies born to these women have remained HIV-negative. The processing method involved centrifugation, repeated washing, and an incubation period that allowed spermatozoa to swim up to the upper layer of the culture medium. They concluded that this procedure may offer highly motivated HIV discordant couples a way to achieve artificial insemination with reduced risk of HIV transmission, although it involves some risk. These results also provide evidence against the controversial claim that HIV is transmitted by spermatozoa as opposed to infected leukocytes and free virus in seminal fluid.(62,63) ================= Hope this helps! Dr. Roseff Visit us at www.reproendo.com

SCOTT ROSEFF, MD, FACOG, Director
West Orange, NJ

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