Controlled ovarian hyperstimulation in women with polycystic ovarian syndrome with or without intrauterine insemination

Objective: To evaluate the value of intrauterine insemination (IUI) in controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH) among couples with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and normal semen analysis. Design: Retrospective cohort study Setting: University teaching center. Patients: PCOS couples with normal semen analysis that underwent COH with IUI or timed intercourse (TIC). Intervention: COH with clomiphene citrate, letrozole or gonadotropins with or without IUI. Main outcome measures: Clinical pregnancy rates. Results: Of a total 265 cycles, 151 cycles were with IUI and 114 others with TIC. No significant difference was found in the overall pregnancy rates between the TIC group (17.5%) and the IUI group (16.6%). Analysis of pregnancy rates according to the type of COH treatments did not demonstrate the advantages of IUI over TIC. Conclusion: Compared to timed intercourse, IUI does not increase the pregnancy rate in couples with PCOS and normal semen analysis treated with COH.