Private IUI (intrauterine insemination) cost in the UK: 2026 price guide

Private IUI places prepared sperm directly into the womb around the time of ovulation, sometimes with mild ovarian stimulation, and is used for some unexplained infertility, mild male factors, donor sperm and same-sex or single women.

The range in the published self-pay lists for IUI (intrauterine insemination) was £500 to £1,400. That spread reflects different hospitals, different variants and different ideas of what belongs in a package, so the table names each one.

Lists are revised from time to time and sit alongside conditions in the small print. The figures help you see where a quote falls, but they cannot replace your own estimate.

A semen sample is prepared in the laboratory and a thin catheter places the sperm through the cervix into the womb at the right time, which is usually quick and similar to a smear test.

Ask how many cycles the clinic recommends before considering IVF and what the total expected cost would be.

Two patients having the same operation or test can receive quite different bills. For IUI (intrauterine insemination), these are the factors that most often explain the gap.

• Package and monitoring: Guy and St Thomas Specialist Care lists IUI at £1,400, including nurse consultation, cycle management, sperm preparation, HFEA fee and counselling, while excluding medication.

• Natural or stimulated cycle: stimulated cycles need more scans and drugs.

• Donor sperm: sourcing and screening is a separate cost.

• Number of cycles: IUI often needs several cycles.

• Pre-treatment tests: tubal patency testing, which HyCoSy at the same clinic costs £500.

Ask for the inclusions in writing. For this procedure the usual split between what is covered and what is charged on top looks like this.

Insurers generally exclude fertility treatment, so IUI is typically self-funded.

Check whether your insurer recognises the exact procedure and the consultant you plan to see, and ask for any excess in writing. Self-funders can usually ask about finance, but terms depend on credit checks and should be read closely.

NHS IUI is available in some areas for eligible people, with criteria varying, and NICE guidance recommends it in specific circumstances.

Many people consider private care because of NHS waiting times, but the NHS route costs nothing at the point of use and the 18-week standard applies to non-urgent consultant-led pathways. Local performance varies.

You rest briefly after insemination and carry on as normal, with a pregnancy test about two weeks later.

The risks below are the ones that can turn a quoted price into a larger bill, so ask how each would be dealt with.

• IUI has a lower chance per cycle than IVF, and stimulation can cause multiple pregnancy, so clinics monitor carefully.

• Several cycles may be needed, so total cost is a multiple of the quoted price.

Write the answers down as you go. These are the questions that tend to separate similar-looking quotes for this procedure.

• What does the IUI package include?

• Is the cycle natural or stimulated?

• How many cycles do you recommend?

• What does donor sperm cost, if relevant?

• Is every fee in the quote guaranteed, or could consultant and anaesthetist charges differ from the estimate on the day?