Chief Investigator: Professor Jackson C Kirkman-Brown
Principal Investigator: Dr Ippokratis Sarris
Research Fellow in charge: Niyati Sodani
Funding: The study is funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research
The UNiTY study aims to answer a simple but important question: for couples with unexplained infertility, is it better to try three rounds of IUI before IVF, or go straight to IVF?
Unexplained infertility is incredibly common, accounting for 25% of all infertility cases. Couples are diagnosed with it when they’ve been trying to conceive for at least one year and fertility tests aren’t picking up any issues. In other words, everything looks normal, but pregnancy hasn’t happened.
At the moment, IVF is the first treatment recommended for unexplained infertility because it’s generally believed to be more effective. However, new studies suggest that three rounds of IUI may work just as well as one cycle of IVF for couples struggling with this diagnosis. UNiTY will help determine if this is true.
Additionally, IUI is both cheaper and less invasive than IVF. There’s no egg collection procedure, it has a lower risk of complications and fewer hospital visits are needed. So if IUI is found to be just as effective (or very nearly as effective) as IVF, the NHS may make IUI the first-line treatment for couples with unexplained infertility.
This could reshape fertility care by offering couples a simpler, less invasive first-line treatment.
