Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 23, 2026
08:46
Fertility Preservation Through Oocyte Vitrification: Clinical and Laboratory Perspectives
Published on: September 16, 2021
Gonadotropin therapy: a 20th century relic
Richard H Reindollar1, Marlene B Goldman
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Dartmouth Medical School, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, New Hampshire 03756, USA.
Fertility and Sterility
|April 3, 2012
Summary
Injectable gonadotropins for infertility, while historically significant, are increasingly questioned due to high rates of multiple births and ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome. Research suggests lower doses for IVF and challenges their use in superovulation/IUI, proposing a shift away from this therapy.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive Endocrinology
- Infertility Treatment
Background:
- Gonadotropin therapy has been a primary infertility treatment for 50 years.
- Its use is linked to high rates of multiple births and ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome.
Observation:
- Initial success rates with superovulation (SO)/intrauterine insemination (IUI) seemed acceptable.
- Emerging randomized controlled trial (RCT) data challenges the efficacy and safety of injectable gonadotropins.
Findings:
- Studies question the continued use of gonadotropins for SO/IUI.
- Research supports the use of reduced gonadotropin doses in in vitro fertilization (IVF).
Implications:
- The established use of gonadotropins for SO/IUI faces significant challenges.
- A global shift towards lower gonadotropin doses for IVF is supported.
- The future of infertility treatment may necessitate moving beyond traditional gonadotropin protocols.
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