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The benefits of artificial insemination are numerous and compelling. In comparison with other artificial technique for getting pregnant such as in vitro fertilization, artificial insemination is safer, less invasive, and less expensive. Artificial insemination allows for fertilization of the egg to occur naturally in the body; the only “artificial” part of getting pregnant through this technique is the introduction of the sperm to the egg.

Artificial insemination is also usually used in conjunction with fertility-boosting drugs to increase chances of getting pregnant. For couples, the insemination process combined with fertility drugs have markedly higher success rates than simply using fertility drugs alone. This is especially true in couples whose fertility problems are unexplained. Both male and female fertility problems can be overcome through artificial insemination. Couples with male fertility problems also show a marked improvement in the chances of getting pregnant using artificial insemination rather than simply timing intercourse to the body’s cycle.

Artificial insemination also provides same-sex couples the opportunity to have children. Because it is both comparatively affordable and relatively risk-free when compared to other assisted reproductive technologies, it could be considered the “preferred” method of getting pregnant among homosexual couples. The prevalence of sperm banks and donors to them makes it very easy to for a woman to obtain a sperm sample to be inseminated with, even without a male partner to provide the seed. Because her body’s natural processes are utilized as much as possible, the risks and costs are kept low. Artificial insemination is also a popular choice for getting pregnant among single women who want a baby, for the same reasons it is popular among same-sex couples.

The process of insemination also provides other benefits. The fact that the sperm passes through the a medical laboratory before finding its way to the egg offers a unique opportunity to ensure that the child born will be healthy. All sperm donors in the United States are required to undergo genetic testing for several genetic diseases, including things like sickle cell anemia and cystic fibrosis, as well as provide a complete family medical history stretching back at least three generations. This is to prevent women getting pregnant from sperm banks having children with severe illnesses.

However, these tests can be done on any sperm. Couples who elect to get pregnant through artificial insemination can have these tests done even though they are not using “strange” sperm. This type of testing ensures that the child born, even between a heterosexual couple that is simply having fertility troubles, is healthy. It is recommended that any woman using artificial means to get pregnant, whether undergoing artificial insemination with a known partner or using donor sperm, gets genetic counseling prior to the procedure.

It is easy to see that artificial insemination is a beneficial procedure, not just to couples with fertility problems, but also to same-sex couples and to women who want a child even though they have no partner. The process of insemination is cost-effective, uses the natural process of getting pregnant to the highest degree of any assisted reproductive technology, and allows for screening to ensure healthy babies.