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Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Analogues for Infertility
GnRH analogue treatment is used to "shut down" the pituitaryhormones that control the ovaries.
To treat infertility concerns, a GnRH analogue (agonist or antagonist) is used:
- To closely time and control ovulation before an assisted reproductive technology (ART) procedure by shutting down the pituitary gland. This is called "pituitary down-regulation." At the same time or afterward, an ovulation-stimulating medicine is used to trigger ovulation, with the goal of harvesting good-quality eggs on a predictable schedule. Increasing numbers of doctors are now using a GnRH antagonist (instead of a GnRH agonist) at the same time that ovulation medicine is used, quickly suppressing the luteinizing hormone that can cause early ovulation.
- To closely time ovulation before some insemination procedures, when unpredictable ovulation would make it hard to know when to introduce sperm into a woman's reproductive tract.
| By: | Healthwise Staff | Last Revised: March 19, 2010 |
| Medical Review: | Sarah Anne Marshall, MD - Family Medicine Femi Olatunbosun, MB, FRCSC - Obstetrics and Gynecology | |
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