# Difficult issue



## fairysparkle (Jan 3, 2010)

Hi all, newbie  here.

Hope this question is not going to cause too much upset because it left us baffled. The clinic we attend is NHS in Scotland, and we asked about IUI. The consultant told us the hospital will not do this as research shows it not to be any more effective than trying naturally. This has left us a bit lost, as it's a treatment we would have seriously considered. Anyone else run into this? 

L


----------



## professor waffle (Apr 23, 2005)

Yes I've heard this before & yes for some areas it's not offered but in Portsmouth up unti recently it was the only tx offered on the NHS as IVF wasn't available. The cons I sawe has a good success rate with IUI beause he's been doing it a long time becasue that is all there was but natioanlly the results aren't brilliant - somewhere between 10-15% which is similar to ttc naturally.

I guess it depends what you think your problem is for not getting pg & that is where IVF is so much more successful as it shows egg/fertilisation problems from the very first tx. With IUI it's about getting the sperm & the eggs in the right place but you have no idea why it doesn't work.

For me I thought I had a cm problem (too much) & a short luteal phase so it made sense to try IUI & it worked for me but it doesn't work for everyone.

For thos it works for they see it as a valid treatment but if your clinic doesn't offer it on the NHS you have to consider statistics if you want to try it privately.

Good luck & feel free to ask any more q's

PW


----------



## joeyrella (May 13, 2009)

i suppose it is logical to think of it as just the same as having sex _if_ your bodies manage to get the right ingredients in the right place at the right time. as i don't always ovulate and hubby has a lower than normal sperm count i'm certain that IUI gives us a better chance than just trying naturally. at least with IUI we have a 10% chance rather than virtually no chance! it depends what problems are preventing you conceiving though.
however, we are being funded for three IUIs on the NHS where we live. If i was paying myself i would go straight to IVF. just my opinion though!


----------

