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Gonadotropins Research Paper

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Injectable Fertility drugs (gonadotropins)

What are gonadotropins?

Gonadotropins are injectable fertility medications, containing follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) alone or combined with luteinizing hormone (LH). During a natural menstrual cycle, both FSH and LH are produced by the pituitary gland in the brain to naturally stimulate the ovaries to produce a single egg each month. When FSH (with or without LH) is given as an injection, it works directly on the ovaries to make multiple follicles (cysts containing eggs).
Gonadotropins are used during fertility treatments such as intrauterine insemination (IUI) or in vitro fertilization (IVF). Injections of gonadotropins are started early in the menstrual cycle to cause multiple eggs to grow to a mature size. Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), another injectable medication, is then used to trigger the release of the eggs when they are mature. Close monitoring of patients with ultrasound who are using these medications is advised in order to minimize the side effects and risks. …show more content…

When FSH is given in larger amounts than would occur in a natural menstrual cycle it results in more than one egg being ripened and matured.
1. Sometimes if you are not ovulating, Gonadotrophins are given in the amount roughly equal to that of a natural menstrual cycle and this is called ovulation induction.
2. Gonadotrophins are commonly used in IVF cycles. The intention here is to produce ideally 10 to 15 eggs with the aim of fertilizing them outside the body. The reason why so many eggs are necessary is that the process of IVF is relatively inefficient and the more eggs that are available for fertilization, the more likely pregnancy is to

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