Ovulation Induction

There are different levels of ovulation induction used to treat infertility due to ovulation disorders, male factors or unknown causes. Fertility drugs are used to stimulate the follicles in a woman’s ovaries to help her produce multiple eggs in one cycle. These medications also control ovulation and the time eggs are released so sexual intercourse, IVF (in-vitro fertilisation) or IUI (intrauterine insemination) can be scheduled to achieve a pregnancy at the most likely time.

The medications most commonly used in fertility treatment are Clomiphene Citrate, gonadotropins, Metformin and Parlodel. The risks associated with the use of ovulation induction medications include an increased chance of multiple births and the development of ovarian cysts. A rare side effect is ovarian hyper-stimulation syndrome (OHSS) which can cause severe pain in the pelvis, abdomen and chest, nausea, vomiting, bloating, weight gain and difficulty breathing. However, careful monitoring ensures that the patient does nothyper-stimulate and also helps the physician administer the correct dosage of medication, so that only a few follicles develop. An antral folicle count is used to determine the maturity of an egg follicle and the best time for collection. Depending on the cause of infertility, the success rate per superovulation treatment cycle is approximately 10-20% based on the woman’s age.

Click the next arrow to find out about cycle monitoring antral egg follicles to find out the optimum time for collection.