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Is there a risk of ectopic pregnancy in an AI?

By Héctor Iván Izquierdo Urdinola M.D. (gynecologist).
Last Update: 12/30/2021

An ectopic pregnancy is nothing more than a gestation that nests inappropriately in the fallopian tubes, which implies a medical emergency that may require surgical treatment, in addition to having consequences on the reproductive health of women.

This is due to the fact that the fallopian tubes -of much smaller diameter and resistance than the uterus- are not prepared to host a pregnancy and, with the development of the embryo in this area, a rupture of this tissue, which has a lot of blood supply, can be generated. This would trigger a hemorrhage that could pose a great risk to the woman.

Artificial insemination is a simple and minimally invasive assisted reproduction treatment, which can be ideal when the causes of reproductive problems are due to the male factor. In this treatment, the sperm -previously prepared- is basically introduced into the uterus in order to promote pregnancy. In most cases, the woman is also usually given medication to help promote ovulation.

All assisted reproduction treatments carry a slightly increased risk of ectopic pregnancy, and artificial insemination is no exception. The causes for this type of pregnancy are not entirely clear, but the most widely accepted are the following: firstly, the fact of injecting the sperm directly into the uterus could affect the peristalsis of the tubes (movement of the tubes that moves the ovum from the ovary to the uterus), causing it to function inadequately and not be able to transport the fertilized ovum to the uterus. The other cause may be that there is a pathology in the tubes that partially occludes them, enough to allow the passage of the sperm, but subsequently does not allow the passage of the fertilized embryo.

 Héctor Iván Izquierdo Urdinola
Héctor Iván Izquierdo Urdinola
M.D.
Gynecologist
Dr. Izquierdo has a degree in Medicine and Surgery from the Universidad del Valle. In addition, he has a course in basic psychosomatic care by the Institute of Psychotherapy and Psychoanalysis of the University of Würzburg, a Master in Assisted Human Reproduction by the University of Salamanca and the title of Gynecologist and Obstetrician by the Government of Upper Bavaria, Germany.
Member number: 03-0312760
Gynecologist. Dr. Izquierdo has a degree in Medicine and Surgery from the Universidad del Valle. In addition, he has a course in basic psychosomatic care by the Institute of Psychotherapy and Psychoanalysis of the University of Würzburg, a Master in Assisted Human Reproduction by the University of Salamanca and the title of Gynecologist and Obstetrician by the Government of Upper Bavaria, Germany. Member number: 03-0312760.