Background: Although the number of follicles at intrauterine
insemination (IUI) is associated with the pregnancy rates and multiple pregnancy
rates. Multiple pregnancy rates are low in older women. Therefore, this study was
undertaken to determine the clinical pregnancy rate of IUI in women 38–43 years
of age based on the number of stimulated mature follicles. Methods: A
retrospective cohort study was performed including all the first to third
stimulated IUI cycles conducted after the age of 38 years in a single academic
fertility center between January 2011 and March 2018. Results: A total of 1574 IUI cycles were included in the study. The patients were divided
according to the number of mature follicles (14 mm in diameter) at the last
ultrasound before the human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) trigger. The total
pregnancy rate was 9.1% and only 5 multiple pregnancies occurred. The parity
(p = 0.049), the number of follicles 10–14 mm (p = 0.002), and
the peak endometrial thickness (p = 0.003) were significantly different
between the groups. No statistical difference was observed between the groups
regarding pregnancy rates (p = 0.93) and clinical pregnancy rates
(p = 0.21). Multivariate logistic regression controlling for confounding
effects comparing clinical pregnancy rates with the standard as 1 follicle 14 mm
or greater as benchmark did not alter the results. Conclusions: In women
38 to 43 years of age undergoing controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH)/IUI,
one mature follicle yielded similar pregnancy and clinical pregnancy rates
compared to multiple follicles, possibly due to the aneuploidy rate at this age.