It is estimated that 30-40% of the infertility problems that women faces are related to ovulation. Ovulation induction is an infertility treatment, when the female is unable to ovulate herself. Ovulation induction procedure involves a lot of medications; some given in the form of tablets, others as injections. Normal ovulation occurs when a woman releases mature egg for it to be fertilized. But when a woman is unable to produce any mature egg, medications are provided through the ovulation induction procedure to release mature eggs.
The ovulation induction success stories are largely based on the Body Mass Index (BMI) of a woman. In obese women, success rate is higher when ovulation induction is done with Gonadotrophins only. However, women with low BMI faced no significant difference.
The ovulation induction cost depends on the cost of the drugs given to the patient. Together with ultrasounds, urinary checks and drugs, one cycle can cost up to 300 US Dollar. However, the cost varies with different fertility clinics and brands of medicines used.
Main Causes of Ovulation Induction
Ovulation induction is the most common treatment for women with ovarian issues. The most seen cases lead to stress and extreme weight loss issues.
Other causes include:
- Women suffering from Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS).
- Women suffering from diseases related to thyroid and pituitary gland.
- Irregular menstrual problems.
- Women going through menopause.
- Presence of FSH, AMH and LH in a woman’s hormone.
The procedure
Before an ovulation induction procedure can begin, series of blood, urine and other test are taken to analyze the proper situation. The tests include blood test determining the level of hormones in a woman, like thyroid, progesterone, FSH, LH, androgens and more. Ultrasound scans of the ovaries are also conducted. They ensure that the ovaries can respond to the drugs.
The ovulation induction protocols do not involve any insemination. The goal is simply to help a woman conceive. This is done by administering different kinds of drugs to regulate a woman’s hormone level. With such medication, a woman can have normal sexual intercourse or can opt for infertility treatments like IVF and IUI. Most drugs are therefore hormone based and can include Clomiphene Citrate, Ovidrel, Letrozole, Gonadotrophins including hCG and Aromatase inhibitors. In some case, patients with diabetes are given insulin sensitizing agents.
Symptoms of Ovulation Induction
Drugs come with obvious side effects and so is this procedure. Women can go through symptoms like:
- Loss of breath.
- Hot flashes with weight gain.
- Mood swings.
- Blurry Vision.
- Tenderness in the pelvic region.
FAQs or frequently asked questions on Ovulation induction
Ovulation induction is done by administering two major drugs namely Clomiphene or Clomid tablets and Gonadotrophins injection. They stimulate the follicles leading to egg growth. The chemicals in the drugs stimulate the pituitary gland to increase the production of follicle stimulating hormone. What are the chances of having triplets and twins? If the ovulation induction procedure is done through the usage of gonadotrophins together with IUI treatment, then there are 5% chance of having a triplet and 15% chance of having a twin.
After the course of the drug is completed, most women begin to ovulate after 7-10 days. Thus, if intercourse occurs starting from the 11th day, chances are that you will get pregnant by day 21.
The major advantages of ovulation induction are that, it is low cost, not harmful to patients and does not involve any surgical insemination. Although there are side effects, the procedure is not painful. It is currently the most popular method with women. Moreover, in case of serious infertility, this treatment can also be effective in conjunction with other treatments like IVF or IUI.
Unfortunately, health insurance does not cover the cost of an infertility treatment. There may be some insurance which covers a certain treatment or procedure. If you have serious infertility problem, you can look for insurance that covers a certain treatment cost.
There is no valid proof to determine that the drugs administered during an ovulation induction procedure can cause cancer. Infertility in itself is a symptom of ovarian cancer and hence enough care is taken in all procedure not to increase the risk of such diseases. But, nothing conclusive can be said about this treatment.