Ovulation Induction (OI)

If testing indicates an ovulatory problem.

If fertility testing reveals that a woman has an ovulatory problem, her healthcare provider may prescribe a medication such as clomiphene citrate.

If however clomiphene citrate proves to be ineffective, or was not appropriate to begin with, other fertility medications may be used to induce follicle development and ovulation. These medications are usually prescribed by a Fertility Specialist, also known as a Reproductive Endocrinologist (RE). For more information, talk to your healthcare provider.

How the reproductive cycle works with OI.

To get a better idea of how OI works, let's look at a woman's reproductive cycle while she is taking OI medications.

During the follicular phase of a woman's reproductive cycle, a medication such as Gonal–f® (follitropin alfa for injection), a follicle stimulating hormone (hFSH) may be prescribed. FSH stimulates the development of follicles in the ovary and helps produce eggs.

Around the 11^th day of the cycle, a single injection of a medication such as Ovidrel® PreFilled Syringe (choriogonadotropin alfa injection), a human choriogonadotropin (hCG), may be given to facilitate the last step in the maturation of the developing eggs and trigger ovulation. The eggs are released, ready to be fertilized.

At this point, fertilization is attempted either through sexual intercourse or artificial insemination (AI). AI is a procedure in which the healthcare provider inserts a man's sperm directly into a woman's reproductive tract. AI is usually performed in cases where a woman has poor or absent cervical mucus or a man has a low sperm count or sperm motility. A common AI procedure is intrauterine insemination, a procedure in which the healthcare provider inserts sperm directly into the uterus near the time of ovulation.

Ovulation Induction (OI) Treatment

View the day–by–day animation of a woman's cycle while undergoing Ovulation Induction (OI)

How therapies used during OI are produced.

For years, therapies used during OI have been derived from the urine of menopausal women. Today, they are also produced using recombinant DNA technology. Both versions of these therapies are taken by self–injection.