Download a PDF of this fact sheet here What are gonadotropins?
Gonadotropins are fertility medications given by injection that
contain follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) alone or combined
with luteinizing hormone (LH). During a regularly occurring
menstrual cycle, both FSH and LH are produced by the pituitary
gland in the brain to naturally stimulate the ovaries to make a
single egg each month. When FSH (with or without LH) is given as
an injection, it works directly on the ovaries to make multiple
follicles (cysts containing eggs). Other fertility medications,
such as clomiphene citrate, stimulate the ovaries by working in
conjunction with the brain. How are these medications used?
Gonadotropins usually are used during fertility treatments such
as intrauterine insemination (IUI) or in vitro fertilization
(IVF). Injections of gonadotropins are started early in the
menstrual cycle to cause multiple eggs to grow to a mature size.
Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), another injectable
medication, is then used to