What Are the Advantages of Artificial Insemination in Humans?

Artificial insemination is an infertility treatment that dates back to the 1970s. It is a fertilization procedure, during which sperm from a woman's partner or sperm from a donor, is inserted into a woman's cervix or uterus, and if the procedure is successful, the woman conceives. Although it can be a costly procedure, artificial insemination provides many advantages to the people who do it.

Infertility Issues

• For couples who suffer from infertility issues, artificial insemination is usually the most successful choice for them to conceive a child. Using artificial insemination opens up the doors to parenthood to couples who may not be able to have a child otherwise, due to male or female infertility issues.

  In some cases, the male partner in a relationship may have had a past vasectomy, and rather than undergoing a reversal, the couple can choose artificial insemination using donor sperm to still get the child they desire.

Same Sex Couples

• For same sex couples, having a child is an issue. However, artificial insemination allows the doors to parenthood to open for them as well. A woman in a same sex relationship can be inseminated with donor sperm, or men in a same sex relationship can seek out a surrogate to carry a child, using their own sperm or donor sperm.

Single Men and Women

• Single women without a partner may desire a pregnancy, and for them, artificial insemination offers the advantage of being able to have a child, using donor sperm. It's also not uncommon for women to have their own partner's sperm frozen in the event that their partner is deceased, and be able to use that later on, to conceive a child of their own.

  When using donor sperm for artificial insemination, the sperm is tested and screened prior to being inseminated, and doing this reduces the issue of passing on genetic disorders to the unborn baby.

  Single men can also take advantage of artificial insemination, by using a surrogate and having their own sperm inseminated into the surrogate mother.