Insemination if you want to have children: Everything about the process and costs

What is insemination?

The most commonly used method of artificial insemination is sperm transfer or insemination. It is mainly used for problems on the male side. It is used when the man has low fertility of the male semen, the man is not able to have sexual intercourse or when the transmission of hereditary diseases is to be avoided. However, insemination can also be a solution to fertility problems on the part of the woman. If, for example, there are problems in the woman’s uterus, such as impermeability of the cervical mucus, insemination in combination with hormone treatment can help to fulfill the desire to have children.

Process of insemination

• Determining the time : The insemination takes place at the time when the woman is at its optimum for conception. Therefore, the treating gynecologist determines the time of ovulation together with the woman beforehand.
• Stimulation of oocyte maturation : Insemination can take place during the woman’s natural cycle. In practice, however, this has proven to be significantly less promising. Therefore, in most cases, the maturation of the egg cells is stimulated beforehand by hormone preparations such as clomiphene. The hormone treatments increase the likelihood of a multiple pregnancy, since it favors the maturation of several egg cells.
• Ovulation in women : Following this hormonal stimulation, natural ovulation can be awaited or artificially induced by administering other hormone preparations containing hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin).
• Preparation of the sperm : The sperm for insemination are obtained through masturbation. Since the most common reason for insemination is low fertility of the male semen, for example due to too few or immobile sperm, the male semen is processed by the doctor using special procedures. The “better” and more mobile sperm are separated from the others. The processing is intended to ensure that, above all, very mobile and fertile sperm are present in higher concentrations.
• Transmission of semen in the uterus : During insemination, the man’s sperm are transported via a catheter into the uterus (intrauterine insemination), fallopian tubes (intratubal insemination), cervix (intracervical insemination) or in front of the cervix (cap insemination) to reduce the likelihood of increase fertilization. The purpose of the method is to shorten the way for the sperm cells to reach the egg cell at the optimum time. The treatment takes place like a normal gynecological treatment in a practice in a treatment chair or on a treatment couch. She is pain free. After the treatment, the woman should rest a little in her lying position and give the sperm a chance to disperse.
• Pregnancy test : The first pregnancy test can usually be carried out around 14 days after the treatment. Or you just wait and see if normal menstrual bleeding occurs. Unfortunately, most inseminations are not immediately successful the first time. For most women, however, it works after three to four attempts. Unfortunately, however, about 20 percent of all couples have to wait longer for success. If insemination is not successful even after several attempts, the doctor treating you will discuss other options with a couple.

forms of insemination

The forms of insemination are differentiated depending on the place where the man’s sperm is injected. Four variants of insemination are known. While the methods of intrauterine and intratubal insemination described first are used quite frequently, the last two methods are rather rare in practice today.

• Intratauterine insemination : This form follows the procedure described above. The sperm are introduced directly into the uterus with the help of a catheter.
• Intra-fallopian insemination : The sperm are injected directly into the fallopian tube to further shorten the route.
• Intracervical insemination : The sperm are injected directly into the cervix.
• Cap insemination : The sperm are placed in front of the cervix with a cap.

Homologous and heterologous insemination

In addition to the differentiation according to the location of the insemination, inseminations are also differentiated according to the origin of the introduced sperm into “homologous” and “heterlologous” inseminations. The more common homologous insemination uses the husband’s or partner’s semen. In heterologous insemination, the sperm of a foreign donor is used . The latter is necessary if the partner cannot produce any semen capable of being fertilized, if there is a serious hereditary disease or infection, or if single or lesbian women wish to have a child. Because of the special situation of parenthood, it is then necessary to explain the medical, legal and social aspects.

Insemination costs

An insemination costs around 100 to 150 euros. However, this does not include the costs for the necessary medication and other treatments. Statutory health insurance companies cover 50 percent of the medical and drug costs for up to three inseminations with hormonal stimulation and up to eight inseminations without hormonal stimulation. However, all legal requirements for insemination must be met. You can find out more about the costs of the different methods of artificial insemination in our article “ Costs of artificial insemination: What does health insurance pay? “.

Legal requirements for insemination

• The couple must be married.
• No foreign egg cells or sperm cells may be used.
• Both partners are at least 25 years old. The maximum age for women is 40 years and the maximum age for men is 50 years.
• The partners have a negative AIDS test.
• The woman has rubella protection.
• The doctor submits a treatment plan that requires approval.

In-vitro fertilization is still an option for couples who want to have children and whose insemination is unsuccessful. Therefore, learn more about the process of “conceiving in a test tube” in our article “ IVF: In-Vitro-Fertilization ”.