Insemination

Insemination is the transfer of sperm into a female reproductive tract, naturally through mating or artificially through a medical or breeding procedure.

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Ejaculation: Ejaculation is the expulsion of semen from the penis, usually during orgasm. In human natural insemination, ejaculation deposits semen in or near the vagina.
Intrauterine insemination: Intrauterine insemination is a fertility procedure that places prepared sperm directly into the uterus. It is a common clinical form of artificial insemination.
Sexual intercourse: Sexual intercourse is a form of sexual activity that commonly involves penetration of the vagina by a penis. It can enable natural insemination, but intercourse and sperm transfer are not identical events.
Reproductive coercion: Reproductive coercion is behavior that interferes with another person’s reproductive autonomy, including pressure or control over pregnancy decisions. Consent to insemination is central to distinguishing reproductive care from coercion.
Semen: Semen is the fluid ejaculated from the male reproductive tract, containing sperm and secretions from accessory glands. It carries sperm during natural insemination and is processed for many artificial procedures.
Intracervical insemination: Intracervical insemination is a procedure that places sperm in the cervix or near its opening. It places sperm closer to the uterus than vaginal deposition, without entering the uterine cavity.
In vitro fertilization: In vitro fertilization is a treatment in which eggs are fertilized by sperm outside the body before an embryo is transferred to the uterus. Unlike insemination, fertilization occurs in a laboratory rather than after sperm is placed in the reproductive tract.
Assisted reproductive technology: Assisted reproductive technology is a group of medical procedures involving the handling of eggs, sperm, or embryos to achieve pregnancy. Insemination sits within the wider medical landscape of assisted conception.
Spermatozoon: A spermatozoon is a mature male reproductive cell capable of fertilizing an egg. These cells are the biological material transferred during insemination.
Artificial insemination: Artificial insemination is the deliberate placement of sperm in a female reproductive tract without sexual intercourse. It is the broad category covering clinical and animal-breeding procedures.