Fertility medications work by stimulating your ovaries so they produce eggs and help prepare your body to receive an embryo. For this reason, they are a key part of treatment for many types of infertility, including in vitro fertilization (IVF) and other assisted reproductive technologies.

The physicians at the Center for Reproductive Medicine commonly prescribe several different types of fertility medications, including:

Progesterone

Progesterone is a hormone your ovaries make, along with estrogen. You need adequate levels of progesterone so the lining of your uterus can thicken to get ready for embryo implantation. If you undergo egg retrieval for a course of IVF, you're likely to need supplements because the egg harvesting process removes some of the cells that produce progesterone.

Clomiphene citrate

The oral fertility medication clomiphene citrate (available as Serophene® or Clomid®) works by encouraging your body to produce more follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). This medication is typically one of the initial options for inducing ovulation, as it causes few side effects. It does increase your chances of having twins to 7-8%.

Letrozole

Letrozole (available as Femara®) is an alternative to clomiphene citrate that works directly on your ovaries. It causes even fewer side effects and is less likely to result in multiple gestation.

Our reproductive specialists also prescribe several types of gonadotropins, which use highly purified FSH to cause your ovaries to bring multiple eggs to maturity at once:

Human menopausal gonadotropin

Human menopausal gonadotropin or hMG (available as Repronex® or Menopur®) contains both FSH and luteinizing hormone (LH). The team at the Center for Reproductive Medicine uses this injectable fertility medication to induce ovulation for both IVF and non-IVF patients.

Human chorionic gonadotropin

Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), available as Ovidrel®, is a hormone your body normally releases once an embryo implants itself in your uterine lining. The effects of hCG are very much like those of LH, which triggers the final stages of egg maturation and release. Used in combination with other fertility medications, hCG can trigger ovulation.

It's important to note that hCG is the hormone that pregnancy tests detect. As a result, if you've taking supplementary hCG and perform an at-home pregnancy test, it might produce a false positive. The only way to confirm pregnancy in these cases is to have a lab test to measure your actual hCG levels.