Comparison of the role of cervical and intrauterine insemination techniques on the incidence of multiple pregnancy after artificial insemination with donor sperm.

PURPOSE: Our purpose was to investigate the role of the insemination technique used in an artificial insemination program with donor sperm (AID) in multiple pregnancy rates.

METHODS

We carried out a retrospective nonrandom analysis of 300 pregnancies corresponding to 300 cycles in women from our Artificial Insemination Donor Sperm Program. All cycles were stimulated with gonadotropins. Single and multiple pregnancy cycles and intracervical and intrauterine pregnant cycles were compared.

RESULTS

Intracervical insemination was performed in 173 cycles (58%), and intrauterine insemination in 127 (42%). Two hundred twenty-three pregnancies were single (74%), and 77 multiple (26%). In multiple pregnancy cycles, initial dose and mean total daily dose of gonadotropins, plasma estradiol levels, and number of follicles > or = 14 mm were significantly higher compared to those in single pregnancy cycles. Multiple pregnancy rte was significantly higher among pregnancies after intrauterine insemination (32%) than after intracervical insemination (21%).

CONCLUSIONS

The intrauterine technique of insemination in AID-stimulated cycles with gonadotropins is related to multiple pregnancy risk.