Artificial Insemination: What You Need to Know

Artificial Insemination: What you need to know

By: Brittany Joiner

Did you know that here are many people that are enable to have children the natural way? Well now there is ways around such a tragic obstacle it’s called Artificial Insemination. In this paper I will tell you everything you need to know about the process, who becomes a donor, why people use it and what are the advantages and disadvantages. You will also find out how much the procedure cost and other interesting facts.

Artificial Insemination is a technique that artificially injections sperm-containing semen into a female to cause pregnancy (Wikipedia). The sperm it self is placed into a female’s ovarian follicle, uterus, cervix, or fallopian tubes using artificial means. This method has been used since 1677. Lazzaro Spallanzani, one of the scientists who studied the method. He did many experiments to learn more about he process and how it works. He speculated that the embryo was the “product of male seed, nurtured in the soil of the female”. Spallanzani experiments revolutionized the way scientist thought (Wikipedia).

The procedure AI (Artificial Insemination) is not complicated but it takes time.

First the female’s menstrual cycle is carefully observed. Then the sperm is washed in a lab after donation. This process increases the chances of fertilization and removes chemicals in the semen that may cause discomfort. After the sperm comes from the lab the semen is injected into the female. Just like any other procedures AI has a couple of risk such cramping but for the most part the procedure is painless. Before the sperm is injected into the female it goes though extensive test which limits contraction of disease (Grosskinsky).

Is Artificial Insemination For You?

Most people want to know if AI is for them well some of the reasons people get this procedure is because either the women can’t conceive or the male has a low sperm count or his sperm has poor motility. Also if a women and her partner can’t achieve pregnancy by sexual intercourse then they might also turn to Artificial Insemination.

The doctor also recommends that after the injection the couple should have sex the day before the procedure.

If you are single women who would like to have kids’ Artificial insemination is also for you. There are many donors for you to choose from. Some people think that it is not safe to be injected with the semen of a stranger but really it seems safe than have intercourse with a partner. Finding a donor is not as hard as it might seem many of the Sperm banks have catalogs that you can look though you pick all the qualities that you would like your baby to have. One of the sperm banks that I have read about is called California Cryobank. There they have a catalog listing different races. Ethnicities, heights, hair colors, etc. for you to choose from so your baby can you the best qualities.

Donor Qualifications (California Cryobank, Inc)

Being a donor is not very easy to have to grow though many tests and multiple interviews.

Some of the qualifications include:

- being between the ages of 19 and 39

- must be able to provider medical and genetic information on themselves

- Characteristics requested by clients

- be able to answer questions about medical conditions

The donors are screened for many things such as Sexual transmitted diseases. The screening process takes about 2 to 3 months. Their generations are also screened to