With several fertility treatments available, you can choose the most effective and suitable one on your doctor’s advice. One among them is ovulation induction, which helps treat the lack of ovulation in women, being one of the major causes of infertility. Using ovulation induction therapy, health ovulation is achieved.
How Unexplained Infertility Is Diagnosed?
If a woman is unable to get pregnant in some years or a reasonable time, it is advisable to see a gynecologist to check and treat infertility. Your doctor may conduct certain tests to evaluate your fertility rate, and they include:
Hysterosalpingography: The hysterosalpingography involves injecting contrast material into the uterus, and taking images using an X-ray to detect deformities in the uterus. The fluid flows through the uterus and overflows out of the fallopian tubes. The flow determines if abnormalities or blocks are found. If any deformities are found, then you will be suggested for further tests and evaluation. Sometimes, the contract material itself flushes out the blocks, if any, and opens the fallopian tube and possibly improve fertility in some women.
Also, Read: IUI Treatment: What to Expect
Ovulation Testing: The ovulation testing involves measuring the luteinizing hormone (LH) levels by using over-the-counter ovulation prediction kit at home. Moreover, blood test can also tell you the level of progesterone hormone, which is formed after ovulation. These tests can determine whether the ovulation process is occurring effectively or not. When the hormone levels are not to the prescribed level, you may need to go for ovulation induction therapy and other treatment to enhance ovulation.
Imaging Tests. With the help of pelvic ultrasound, uterine or fallopian tube disease can be diagnosed. At times, a sonohysterogram is used for the diagnosis since the inside the uterus are not visible on a regular ultrasound. This is called a saline infusion sonogram.
Ovarian Reserve Testing. Through ovarian reserve testing, the quantity and quality of the eggs produced for ovulation can be tested. Women, who are over 35 and with depleted egg supply, are required to do this test and imaging tests.
Apart from the above-mentioned tests, other tests such as thyroid and pituitary hormone tests and other imaging procedures such as laparoscopy and genetic tests may be done based on your situation.
What is Ovulation Induction?
Ovulation induction helps attain multiple ovulation of healthy eggs. It is to induce the release of more matured eggs instead of one egg in a month. By inducing to ovulate more eggs, there are increased chances of becoming pregnant. To induce ovulation, relevant medicines are used, and the sperm is carefully placed into the vagina for fertilization.
Also, Read: What is the Best Time for IUI
Ovulation Induction Therapy Process
The first step involves the administration of medication to boost the development of a mature egg(s). For the ovulation process two types of hormones such as FSH (follicle stimulating hormone) and LH9 luteinizing hormone) are necessary to induce and to complete egg maturation. In the induced ovulation therapy, medicines are administered orally or by injection to enhance the levels of the hormones. Around the 11th day of the cycle, the hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) will be given to enhance maturation of the developing eggs and trigger ovulation. After the medication, the eggs in the follicles in the ovary is monitored with the help of transvaginal ultra sound.
When the follicles attain the right growth containing mature egg or eggs, an injection is given to trigger ovulation. Within the next two days, the patients will be scheduled for the egg fertilization through artificial insemination. A blood test is followed after five to seven days of the insemination to confirm adequate hormone concentrations, which will help to strengthen the uterus lining to support embryo implantation. The fertility experts may suggest for hormonal supplementation if there are insufficient hormone levels in your body.
Medications Used for Ovulation Induction Process
Several medicines are used to induce ovulations and egg development, and they act as naturally occurring hormones and induce ovulation. These medicines are available in urinary and recombinant versions and both are effective. Recombinant medicines are made using advanced DNA technology, while the urinary versions are manufactured from the purified urine.
The medicines used for IO are:
- Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH): They help with the egg development in the ovaries.
- Clomiphene citrate stimulates the pituitary glands to produce LH and FSH hormones.
- Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) also stimulates pituitary gland to produce FSH and LH.
- Human menopausal gonadotropin (hMG): Stimulates the ovaries to help ovulation.
- Luteinizing hormone (LH) helps with the egg development.
- Human chorionic gonadotropin stimulates the final growth and delivery of a mature egg, and are given along with the other fertility drugs mentioned above.
- Progesterone is given to support the lining of the uterus for the implantation of fertilized egg after in-vitro fertilization or IUI, or insemination or natural intercourse.
The objective of ovulation induction is to improve the chances of ovulation at the right time when the sperm reach the egg(s) to achieve fertilization and establish pregnancy.
Also, Read: IUI Treatment Success Rate and Risks
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