Experience with intrauterine insemination for cervical factor and oligospermia

In the past 100 years, interest in intrauterine insemination for cervical factor has waxed and waned. Recently the advent of in vitro fertilization, with improved methods of sperm washing and preparation, has revived interest in intrauterine insemination as a modality for the treatment of infertility. Twenty-seven couples with infertility resulting from cervical factor and/or oligospermia were entered into our intrauterine insemination protocol. A total of 107 intrauterine inseminations were performed in 85 menstrual cycles. Nineteen couples with a cervical factor as the major factor in their infertility experienced three pregnancies (16%). The remaining eight couples who had oligospermia with or without cervical factor produced no pregnancies. No major complications occurred from this procedure. In view of the low pregnancy rate experienced in this study, we must seriously question the value of intrauterine insemination in the treatment of cervical factors and/or oligospermia.