Ovulation Induction (OI) Therapy Overview
Ovulation Induction therapy is a type of infertility treatment that offers many childless couples the opportunity to get pregnant. Nearly 90% of infertility cases may be treated through drug or advanced infertility treatments like ovulation induction, with promising results. At its most basic definition, ovulation induction is a series of drug treatments that are designed to stimulate ovaries to produce more than one egg per menstrual cycle, thus increasing the likelihood of becoming pregnant.
Who Benefits from Ovulation Induction Therapy?
Couples who have tried without success to become pregnant often benefit from ovulation induction therapy. While no one can guarantee 100% success, nearly 65% of couples treated through this type of therapy are successful in becoming pregnant. Women who are experiencing ovulation issues such as irregular or infrequent ovulation, to those suffering from amenorrhea (lack of menstrual cycle) may also benefit.
Common Ovulation Induction Treatments
The most common types of drugs used in Ovulation Induction treatments include but are not limited to:
- Clomiphene citrate-also known as Clomid or Serophene, this drug is taken for at least five days in a row early in the menstrual cycle. It works by mimicking low hormones, which in turn cause the body to create more hormones, which benefit the development of eggs. After the drug is stopped, the body responds in a reaction that causes eggs to be released from the follicle. Patients should be advised that the chances of having twins due to this therapy are about 5%. Nearly 80% of women using this drug will experience ovulation, and of those, nearly 50% are successful in becoming pregnant.
- Gonadotropins-also known as Pergonal or Repronex, as well as FSH (follicle stimulating hormones) also known as Gonal F or Follistim. Taken over a period of 5 to 12 days, this injected drug stimulates growth and development of the ovarian follicle, which contains the eggs. Patients are cautioned that these types of drugs may produce multiple pregnancies and the likelihood of twins or triplets is about 25%.
- GnRH Analogs-also known as Lupron and Cetrotide, such drugs are synthetic in nature. Similar to Gonadotropins, these drugs release a hormone that is controlled by the pituitary gland, which increases release of FSH (follicle stimulating hormones) and LH (luteinizing hormone), followed immediately by a decrease in these hormones to help stimulate the ovarian follicles to grow, develop and release eggs.
Cost of Ovulation Therapy Treatments
Clomid treatments may range between $120 and $1,200 in the United States, depending on how many cycles are needed for results. Gonadotropins injections may cost between $1,500 and $5,000 each, with costs often reaching over $8,000. Medical travelers to countries like India, Thailand, Argentina and Costa Rica may enjoy substantial savings.
Finding the Right Doctor or Specialist
Obstetricians and gynecologists are trained to implement the initial treatments of infertility using Clomid. Such a physician or fertility specialist should be board certified in reproductive endocrinology and infertility. Couples should find specialists who are a member of endocrinologist organizations or technologies. As such, they have completed medical school programs, followed by four years of residency training in obstetrics and gynecology, and then, two to three years of training in fertility within an approved program that results in board certification. |
