Low complexity techinques in reproductive medicine are characterized by facilitation of the sperm-oocyte interaction inside the woman’s body but with no direct intervention in their union.
The two most common techniques are:


OVULATION STIMULATION FOR TIMED SEXUAL INTERCOURSE
Drugs are administered to stimulate ovulation, facilitating the availability of the egg. Timed sexual intercourse can be programmed in order to increase the chances of achieving pregnancy. This is a widely used method due to its simplicity, low cost and low risk. In general, it is recommended when women have ovulation disturbances (absence or low frequency of ovulation), and in some young couples in which the cause of infertility is unclear(idiopathic infertility).
In order to perform this treatment, there must be no abnormalities in the semen, since there is no intervention to improve its quality. The aim of the stimulation is to obtain a maximum of three good size follicles with the capability of releasing a mature eggs, the treatment may be abandoned if more than 3 follicles are developed to avoid the risk of multiple pregnancy.
The medication used for ovarian stimulation can be administer orally or injected. At midcycle, ultrasound monitoring of follicular development will be performed, and onces the follicles have reached the desired size, a final injectable hormone (HCG) is administered to induce ovulation 36-42 hours later. Intercourse every other day starting from the day of the HCG application for 5 to 6 days is indicated.
The probability of achieving pregnancy varies according to the patient’s characteristics and should be attempted 3 or 4 times before moving to a more complex method.
INTRAUTERINE INSEMINATION
In this treatment, spermatozoids are selected in the laboratory and transferred into the intrauterine cavity at the time of ovulation.
This procedure can be performed only if the patient has at least one permeable fallopian tube. It is useful in cases of difficulty in the arrival of sperm from the vagina to the interior of the uterus (cervical factor), in cases where the semen needs to be previously treated or selected, and in women using a sperm donor.
The success rate is 10 to 15% per attempt, and depends largely on the age of the woman. It is considered to be useful in women up to 41 years old. Up to 4 attempts can be performed before moving on to a more complex treatment.
If multiple ovarian follicles are developed prior to insemination, the treatment is abandoned during that cycle to prevent multiple pregnancies.




INTRAUTERINE INSEMINATION
In this treatment, spermatozoids are selected in the laboratory and transferred into the intrauterine cavity at the time of ovulation.
This procedure can be performed only if the patient has at least one permeable fallopian tube. It is useful in cases of difficulty in the arrival of sperm from the vagina to the interior of the uterus (cervical factor), in cases where the semen needs to be previously treated or selected, and in women using a sperm donor.
The success rate is 10 to 15% per attempt, and depends largely on the age of the woman. It is considered to be useful in women up to 41 years old. Up to 4 attempts can be performed before moving on to a more complex treatment.
If multiple ovarian follicles are developed prior to insemination, the treatment is abandoned during that cycle to prevent multiple pregnancies.