Fertility medication

Fertility medication is a drug that enhances fertility. For women, fertility medication is used to stimulate follicle development of the ovary. For males, on the other hand, there are very few options of fertility medication.

Agents that enhance ovarian activity can be classified as either Gonadotropin releasing hormone, Estrogen antagonists or Gonadotropins.

Gonadotropin-releasing hormone
Either Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) itself or any of its agonists (i.e. Lupron) may be used. GnRH releases gonadotropins from the hypothalamus in the body.

Estrogen antagonists
Fertility medication inhibiting the effects of estrogen includes Clomiphene citrate and Aromatase inhibitors.

Clomiphene citrate
Clomiphene citrate is a SERM. It is an ovarian stimulator by inhibiting the negative feedback of estrogen.

Aromatase inhibitors
Although primarily a breast cancer treatment, aromatase inhibitors can also work as fertility medication, probably by a mechanism similar to clomiphene citrate.

Gonadotropins
Gonadotropins are the hormones in the body that normally stimulate the gonads (testes and ovaries). For medication, they can be extracted from urine or by genetic modification.

Menotropins
Menotropins are urinary gonadotropins, i.e. they are extracted from the urine.

Recombinant gonadotropins
Recombinant gonadotropins are gonadotropins created by inserting the DNA coding it into bacteriae. The bacterial DNA is then called Recombinant DNA. Examples of recombinant FSH are Follistim and Gonal F, while Luveris is a recombinant LH.

Human chorionic gonadotropin
Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is normally produced during pregnancy. However, it can also replace LH as an ovulation inducer.

Other
hMG is a medication containing follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH).

Male
There is no effective medication to treat oligospermia, so other assisted reproductive technologies need to be used.

There is ongoing research, with e.g. an Egyptian study indicating efficacy of a combination of clomiphene citrate and vitamin E in improving sperm count and sperm motility in male infertility.

Adverse effects
Estrogen antagonists and gonadotropins may stimulate multiple follicles and other ovarian hormones leading to multiple birth and possible ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome.