Medical treatment to support regular ovulation and improve chances of conception in women with irregular or absent menstrual periods.
If you are not ovulating regularly, becoming pregnant naturally can be more difficult. Ovulation induction is a fertility treatment designed to help stimulate the ovaries to release an egg, improving the chance of conception.
Ovulation induction is a treatment used to encourage or regulate ovulation using fertility medication. Ovulation is the process where an ovary releases an egg during each menstrual cycle. For most women and individuals with a uterus, ovulation occurs roughly once every month.
For pregnancy to occur naturally, ovulation needs to happen regularly so sperm can fertilise the egg after it is released. However, if you do not ovulate consistently, ovulate irregularly, or do not ovulate at all, it can be difficult or impossible to time intercourse at the right time in your cycle for conception to take place.
Ovulation induction may be recommended for women with:
Ovulation induction may either be combined with timed intercourse with your male partner, or intrauterine insemination (IUI) with your partner’s or a donor’s sperm.
Ovulation induction treatment is tailored to your individual cycle, fertility history, and response to medication.
Before treatment begins, Dr Anna will review your medical history, menstrual cycle, fertility concerns, and any previous investigations or treatment.
You may also require fertility tests such as:
These investigations help identify factors affecting fertility and determine whether ovulation induction is likely to be beneficial.
Ovulation induction usually involves medication that encourages the ovaries to mature and release an egg. In some cases, these medications are administered via injection, while other treatments are available in oral tablet form. Deciding which medication is best for you can depend on a few factors, including your personal preference and underlying ovulation disorder.
Weight management can be a valid ovulation induction treatment for some women, as excess body fat is known to interfere with hormone balance and ovulation. For women with PMOS/PCOS, a surgical treatment known as ovarian drilling may help to regulate normal ovulation.
During treatment, your cycle may be monitored using blood tests and ultrasound scans. This helps assess how your ovaries are responding and identify when ovulation is likely to occur.
Monitoring also helps reduce the risk of complications such as releasing too many eggs in one cycle and allows Dr Anna to adjust your medication dosage or type if necessary.
Once ovulation is approaching, Dr Anna will advise you on the best timing for intercourse or insemination to maximise your chances of conception.
A pregnancy test is usually performed around two weeks after ovulation.
Success rates with ovulation induction vary depending on factors such as age, the cause of infertility and underlying ovulation dysfunction, egg quality, sperm health, and overall reproductive health.
Ovulation induction success rates per cycle are similar by age to women with normal fertility, assuming that no other fertility-impacting factors are present. If you are aged 35 or younger, you have a 10-20% chance of conception per ovulation induction cycle. For women aged over 35 years old, this rate decreases to 5-10%. If there are other factors involved, such as endometriosis, or male factor infertility, this may further reduce your monthly chance of pregnancy.
Dr Anna will discuss your individual likelihood of success and whether ovulation induction is the most appropriate treatment option for your circumstances. For some people, it may be sensible to try this minimally invasive fertility treatment first before moving on to more intensive treatment options such as IUI or IVF.
