IVF/Embryo Transfer Outperforms IUI for IBD Patients Seeking Pregnancy
A prospective cohort study found that 73% of women with inflammatory bowel disease who used assisted reproductive technology became pregnant. Among 97 fertility attempts, embryo transfer led to pregnancy 73% of the time, compared with 10% for intrauterine insemination. The researchers recommended considering early referral for IVF and embryo transfer rather than prolonged IUI, especially for women with prior pelvic surgery.
A prospective cohort followed women aged 18–45 with IBD across 30 U.S. and Canadian sites who hoped to conceive within 15 months. Monthly surveys tracked conception attempts and outcomes. Among 421 women trying to conceive, 67 received at least one fertility treatment; 39 had embryo transfer, with or without IUI, while 13 had IUI alone and 15 underwent egg retrieval only.
Treatment recipients tended to be older, had tried longer, and more often reported prior fertility care, pelvic IBD surgery, or active disease. Across 97 attempts, pregnancy occurred in 41%; IUI succeeded in 10% versus 73% for embryo transfer. After adjustment, embryo transfer's odds of pregnancy were much higher than IUI.
This finding may influence counseling for women with IBD who are trying to conceive, potentially shortening time spent on less successful IUI and prompting earlier fertility referrals. That could affect patients, partners, and clinicians navigating treatment decisions, costs, and pregnancy timing. It may also shape how gastroenterology and fertility specialists coordinate care, though access, insurance coverage, and individual medical factors could limit real-world application.