What is IUI?

IUI is a short form for Intra- Uterine Insemination, meaning placing of sperm (insemination) in the uterus (intra-uterine). 

How is it different from natural trying?

When a couple is trying for a pregnancy naturally, the man ejaculates inside the woman's vagina, where the opening of the uterus (cervix) lies. From the cervix, the sperm has to swim inside the uterus to reach the top of the uterus and then to the tube where the egg is expected to be. With IUI, the distance of the sperm to be travelled is reduced and hoped that this will increase its chances of reaching the egg (in case the pregnancy is not happening because they are a little slow). Also, it is believed that in a natural setting, when the man ejaculates, though millions of sperm are deposited at the cervix (opening of the uterus), only a few hundreds are able to reach the egg, a lot of them dying en route to the egg. With IUI, the number of sperm available to the egg increases, thereby increasing the chances of conception.