One of the topics we’re often asked about from our customers is the difference between The Béa Applicator and the syringes. It makes sense when there are a lot of brands offering insemination syringes as their main hardware, and only Béa with a custom device. The short answer: it does a lot more, is a lot more precise, and simply put - it’s more effective (you can thank our 5 years of research and development for that. Let’s dive into the topic shall we? The place we always like to start is with the data. What does science tell us, and where can this data be found? In the case of syringes vs. cervical caps, the evidence is clear. Read on as we break it down:
Let’s start with the basics. What is a syringe? What is an Intracervical Insemination device?
A syringe is, well… a syringe. It’s a tube with a plunger designed to deliver semen into the vaginal canal. You can think of a syringe as replicating intercourse – it has the same ergonomic function as a penis. A ICI device like the Béa Applicator, on the other hand, is designed to deploy a cervical cap containing semen onto the cervix. This is a totally different method of insemination.
How do I spot the difference?
It’s easy to spot an ICI device because there is actually only one on the UK market – the Béa Applicator. Anything else claiming to be ICI is usually a syringe or a re-purposed menstrual cup 👀
Why go for Intracervical Insemination over a syringe?
Simple – because it’s more effective. Why? Because the Béa Applicator deploys a cervical cap containing semen onto the cervix, where it stays in place for 1 hour. Syringes simply deposit semen into the vaginal canal (a la intercourse). Why does this matter? The Béa Applicator will minimise the contact of semen in the vagina (where the pH can reduce sperm quality), eliminate semen backflow and increase the exposure time to the cervical mucus (which is magic stuff, we recommend reading more about it here). All of this means the pregnancy rate with a cervical cap is three times higher compared to syringe insemination.
Why does the Béa Treatment cost what it does?
The Béa Applicator is a custom device with over 17 components, hand-assembled in a Clean Room (a biologically safe manufacturing environment) and rigorously tested post-production. Plus, each Béa Treatment Kit includes two applicators (plus lots of extras), which bumps up the cost. Syringes, on the other hand, are simple, and inexpensive to mass-produce — which is why they’re so much less expensive for you to buy. As well as this, the differences in the efficacy of each is quite different. Cervical cap insemination is known to have a significantly higher pregnancy rate per cycle (15.2%) compared to straw or syringe insemination (5.9%).
That said, trying to conceive is deeply personal, and it’s all about finding what works best for you right now. Sometimes the budget-friendly option is the only one that makes sense, and we totally get it. At Béa, we’re here to make sure you have the right information to make decisions with confidence.
TLDR; Simply put, Béa delivers more than syringes can (pun intended). Here’s a quick summary for you:
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