Hormonal Treatments

If the infertility is caused by problems in the maturing and the release of the egg, it can often be addressed with hormone therapies.

Ovulation induction

Ovulation means the release of an egg from the ovaries in the middle of the menstrual cycle. Some women in their reproductive age might ovulate infrequently or not at all. Ovulation induction is a treatment which facilitates the release of the eggs from the ovaries, with the help of hormonal therapy.  A very mild hormone medication is used to help produce 1-2 mature eggs in the ovaries.

The growth of the follicles is monitored with ultrasound. Once the follicles have matured enough, the ovulation can be scheduled with a single hCG-hormone injection. The moment of ovulation injection can be timed with intercourse or insemination. This treatment requires that the ovarian tubes are open and the semen is of good quality. Donor sperm can also be used in insemination.

Despite the mild hormone medication, it is possible that several follicles are produced, and the treatment must be terminated due to the risk of multiple pregnancies, or it can be converted into IVF-treatment. Hormonal therapy always involves a small risk of hyper stimulation, i.e. ovarian overstimulation, which explains the importance of ultrasound scans during the hormonal therapy.