As you know, the pregnancy hormone, called human chorionic gonadotropin (or hCG for short) begins to be produced by the female body immediately after fertilization of the egg and plays a crucial role in the proper growth and development of the embryo. Thanks to the achievements of modern medicine, it has become possible to synthesize this hormone artificially. It is used to treat ovulatory disorders in women that interfere with conception. The hormone is injected using a special injection. About what an injection of hCG is, and when resorting to using this method, we will tell in our article.
Why is an injection of human chorionic gonadotropin prescribed?
If a woman who seeks medical help is diagnosed with a lack of ovulation, she is in most cases recommended to stimulate this process. For this, an hCG injection is often used, which not only “starts” the ovulation process in the female body, but also prevents the regression of follicles, which can develop into follicular cysts. The injection dose, as a rule, is 5,000 or 10,000 units, and ovulation after an injection of hCG occurs after 24-36 hours.
HCG injections during pregnancy
The production of chorionic gonadotropin begins from the moment the embryo enters the uterine cavity and continues until the end of pregnancy. In the first few months after conception, the level of this hormone is constantly increasing, and based on its quantitative content at certain dates, it can be judged whether the pregnancy is normal. The main function of hCG is to ensure normal fetal growth and control the production of progesterone and estrogen in the first trimester. If, for some reason, the female body ceases to synthesize this hormone, then there is a violation of the production of vital substances for the fetus, which can entail termination of pregnancy. An intramuscular injection of hCG can solve such problems, designed to make up for the deficiency of this important hormone. Such injections are prescribed in the following cases:
- in order to maintain the vitality of the corpus luteum until the time when the placenta takes on the production of all hormones that contribute to the normal course of pregnancy;
- in order to help the formation of the placenta.
HCG injection : indications
Thus, the following conditions are indications for injections of this hormone:
- insufficient production by the female body of the corpus luteum during pregnancy;
- lack of ovulation, which entails the impossibility of conception;
- habitual miscarriage ;
- threatening miscarriage;
- preparation for IVF.
Contraindications for hCG injection
Injections of this hormone also have contraindications, which include the following conditions: early menopause, the presence of a pituitary tumor, lactation, thrombophlebitis, ovarian cancer, hypothyroidism, the presence of obstruction of the fallopian tubes, hypersensitivity to the drug, hyperprolactinemia.