How Much Does Artificial Insemination Cost?

We’re breaking down the numbers for IUI and ICI and what success rates you can expect.

If you’re TTC, you may be exploring fertility treatments to help you do so.

And artificial insemination is a very popular option. [1]

If you’re looking to go down this route, one of your first questions is likely: how much does artificial insemination cost?

The short answer is that compared with things like in vitro fertilization (IVF), it’s one of the cheaper fertility treatments.

This doesn’t mean artificial insemination is always affordable though, especially if multiple “rounds” or “cycles” are needed.

Let’s break down the numbers and discuss the success rates of this treatment.

In this article: 📝

What are the types of artificial insemination?

Let’s quickly chat about the two main types of artificial insemination.

These are intrauterine insemination (IUI) and intracervical insemination (ICI).

ICI involves inserting sperm high in the vagina, near the cervix (the gateway to the uterus).

IUI, on the other hand, involves doctors placing sperm right into the uterus, bypassing the cervix.

The sperm is usually “washed” beforehand — a process involving the separation of sperm cells from other cells and debris, resulting in a preparation of highly concentrated sperm that increases the chances of fertilization.

Because both options are relatively simple, low-tech procedures, artificial insemination is often less expensive than other types of fertility treatments.

As IUI is more common, we’ll explore these costs first.

What’s the average cost of IUI?

On average, IUI costs somewhere between $500 to $1,000 per cycle.

But it’s tricky to say exactly how much IUI will cost, as it’s different from clinic to clinic.

The cost can easily rise to $4,000 or more, though.

So why the spike?

Well, things like ultrasounds and bloodwork monitoring generally cost around $1,000-$2,000.

They might not always be needed (or offered), depending on your clinic as well as your personal situation.

So it’s worth checking what’s included before signing on any dotted lines.

You might also be prescribed medication to help follicle growth and time the maturation of the egg according to the date of procedure.

These costs are massively variable too.

For instance, something like Femara (letrozole) costs around $30 per cycle, whereas gonadotropin can cost a hefty $2,000. [2]

Further trigger shots (given to induce ovulation) also cost around $100-$300.

The insemination itself (including sperm washing) usually costs up to about $1,000.

If you’re using donor sperm, this will add around $700 to 1,000 a vial.

How much does it cost to get sperm injected into you?

If ICI uses unwashed sperm, it’s significantly cheaper — costing around $200 to $350 per cycle.

Washed sperm will add to this cost, as will donor sperm.

IUI involves inserting prepared sperm directly into the uterus, but you can opt for the simpler ICI procedure.

Basically, this means sperm is injected high into your vagina, near the entrance of the cervix.

If you’d like blood tests and ultrasounds too, this will also increase the cost.

And with multiple treatment cycles, this can all quickly add up.

Is artificial insemination cheaper than IVF?

Yes — a single cycle of artificial insemination (whether IUI or ICI) is cheaper than IVF.

During In Vitro Fertilization (IVF), eggs are removed from the ovaries.

The mature ones are then fertilized with sperm in a lab and returned to the womb to grow and develop.

It’s quite an involved process, costing anywhere from $12,000 to $20,000, depending on the clinic.

IVF success rates are higher, though.

Each egg retrieval process results in pregnancy for over 55% of women younger than 35.

This is about 41.9% for women aged 35 to 37.

IUI, on the other hand, has lesser success rates than IVF, and some may need up to 4-6  individual cycles.

At $1,000-$4,000 per cycle, this might not work out that much cheaper.

💸 Dig deeper: How Much Does IVF Cost?

What are the chances of getting pregnant from artificial insemination?

On average, research published by the journal Human Reproduction showed pregnancy rates for ICI (after six treatment cycles) is 37.9%. [3]

This rises to 40.5% for IUI (also after six treatments).

IUI’s higher success rates come down to the more direct placement in the uterus.

Sperm washing also really helps (because it’s a concentration of the best swimmers in the race!).

In fact, a study published in Minerva Ginecologica calculated this process increases sperm concentration by over 20%. [4]

But there are lots of factors affecting your chance of getting pregnant from artificial insemination, like:

• Your age
• Timing alongside ovulation
• Use of fertility medications
• The reasons for your fertility concerns
• Sperm quantity and quality
• Egg quantity and quality
• Stress levels and general health
• Whether you’ve been pregnant before

If you’re TTC, we know that the cost of artificial insemination, alongside so many other factors, will affect your decision.

For real-life chat about other women’s experiences, join the conversation with the Peanut TTC community.

Whatever you decide, we’re cheering you on — every step of the way.