What type of fertility drugs are there

Blood tests measure hormone levels, and ultrasound testing monitors the size of the ovarian follicles. Ultrasound testing is a highly reliable and safe method of tracking ovulation, and is used to assess response to medications and to help your SCRC physician predict when ovulation is most likely to occur.

A vaginal ultrasound is performed at specific stages of an ovulation cycle in order to give an accurate count and measurement of follicles and eggs as they develop in the ovaries. This allows for very accurate timing for natural intercourse or artificial insemination, such as the IUI procedure , to ensure the highest rate of success. To perform the ultrasound, your fertility doctor simply inserts a small transducer similar in shape and size to a tampon into the vagina.

The ultrasound procedure is very safe and creates virtually no discomfort. Call an SCRC fertility counselor at , or click here to contact us. When ovulation is irregular and uncertain, optimal timing for intercourse or insemination can prove challenging.

For this reason, medications are sometimes used which induce ovulation at a specific time. Generally, once a follicle is mature at least 18mm in diameter , administration of this type of medication will induce ovulation approximately 24 to 36 hours after it is given. After ovulation has occurred, what remains of the follicle within the ovary is called a corpus luteum. The corpus luteum secretes progesterone which, among other things, stabilizes the lining of the uterus and prepares the lining for a potential pregnancy.

In women with low progesterone levels or for those proceeding with a frozen embryo transfer, in which a corpus luteum has not preceded the embryo transfer and therefore natural progesterone is not available, a progesterone supplement may be prescribed in order to help support the pregnancy.

This medication may be injected, taken orally, or as a vaginal suppository. Medications that fall into this category are: Progesterone in Oil, Endometrin, Crinone, and Prometrium.

Friedenthal completed her undergraduate education at Yale University. While in medical school, she received the Senior Research Fellowship award for her research accomplishments in reproductive endocrinology and immunology.

Friedenthal then completed her residency training in Obstetrics and Gynecology at New York University. During her residency training, Dr. Friedenthal received the Mortimer Levitz Best Basic Science Award for her research on pre-implantation genetic testing. There are several types of surgical procedures that may be used to investigate fertility problems and help with fertility.

Surgery can be used to break up the scar tissue in your fallopian tubes, making it easier for eggs to pass through them. Possible complications from tubal surgery include an ectopic pregnancy , which is when the fertilised egg implants outside the womb.

Laparoscopic surgery is often used to treat endometriosis by destroying or removing fluid-filled sacs called cysts. It may also be used to remove submucosal fibroids , which are small growths in the womb. If you have polycystic ovary syndrome PCOS , a minor surgical procedure called laparoscopic ovarian drilling can be used if ovulation medicine has not worked.

Sometimes the epididymis becomes blocked, preventing sperm from being ejaculated normally. If this is causing infertility, surgery can be used to correct the blockage. Both operations take a few hours and are done under local anaesthetic as outpatient procedures. Intrauterine insemination IUI , also known as artificial insemination, involves inserting sperm into the womb via a thin plastic tube passed through the cervix.

Sperm is first collected and washed in a fluid. The best quality specimens the fastest moving are selected. In vitro fertilisation IVF , is when an egg is fertilised outside the body. Fertility medicine is taken to encourage the ovaries to produce more eggs than usual.

Eggs are removed from the ovaries and fertilised with sperm in a laboratory. A fertilised egg embryo is then returned to the womb to grow and develop.

If you or your partner has an infertility problem, you may be able to receive eggs or sperm from a donor to help you conceive. Treatment with donor eggs is usually done using IVF.

Anyone who registered to donate eggs or sperm after 1 April can no longer remain anonymous and must provide information about their identity.