A prospective, randomized trial comparing two different intrauterine insemination regimens in controlled ovarian hyperstimulation cycles.

OBJECTIVE: To compare a single periovulatory intrauterine insemination (IUI) with a regimen employing two IUIs, one before ovulation and one after ovulation, in patients undergoing controlled ovarian hyperstimulation with human menopausal gonadotropins (hMG) combined with human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG).

DESIGN: A randomized, prospective trial.

PARTICIPANTS: Thirty-one consecutive patients undergoing 49 cycles of controlled ovarian hyperstimulation/IUI were studied in a tertiary care setting.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Ovulation was determined sonographically. The establishment of a clinical pregnancy was defined by either ultrasonographic verification of cardiac activity within an intrauterine fetus, or histologic confirmation of trophoblast in a surgical specimen.

RESULTS: Clinical pregnancies developed in 2 of 23 cycles in the single insemination group, compared with 12 of the 23 cycles in the double insemination group. Cycle fecundity was significantly higher for group II (0.522) than for group I (0.087) patients (P = 0.003).

CONCLUSION: In hMG/hCG cycles, two IUIs timed as described above are superior to one periovulatory insemination.