What is hCG?
Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is one among those
fabulously fickle things known as a hormone. But unlike a number of the more
famous female hormones — like progesterone or estrogen — it’s not always there,
hanging call at your body in fluctuating amounts.
It’s actually typically made by the cells during a placenta, so it’s pretty special to pregnancy.
The hormone hCG tells your body to supply high amounts of progesterone, which
helps to support and maintain pregnancy. If it’s been a pair week since you
ovulated and now you’re pregnant, it’s possible to detect hCG in your urine and
blood.
While hCG is produced naturally
during pregnancy, the hormone is additionally used as a treatment for certain
health conditions.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved uses for hCG that is
different for men and ladies, but it is often used as a fertility treatment for
both.
Human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) may be a hormone that supports the normal
development of an egg in a woman's ovary, and stimulates the discharge of the
egg during ovulation.
HCG is employed to cause ovulation and to treat infertility in women, and to
extend sperm count in men. HCG is additionally used in young boys when their
testicles have not dropped down into the scrotum normally. this will be caused
by a pituitary gland disorder.
Purpose
of hCG injections
Female fertility
The most common FDA-approved use of hCG is as an injection to treat infertility
in women. If you've got trouble conceiving, your doctor may prescribe hCG
together with other drugs — such as menotropins (Menopur, Repronex) and
urofollitropin (Bravelle) — to spice up your fertility.
That’s because hCG can act similarly to LH (LH), a chemical produced by the
pituitary that stimulates ovulation.
Some fertility problems are thanks to a woman having trouble producing LH. And
since LH stimulates ovulation and ovulation is important for pregnancy — well,
hCG can often help here.
If you’re doing in vitro fertilization (IVF), you'll also be prescribed hCG to
boost your body’s chances of keeping a pregnancy.
You’ll typically get 5,000 to 10,000 units of hCG to inject subcutaneously or
intramuscularly on a schedule determined by a doctor. this might sound
scary, but we’ll walk you thru how to do these injections.
Male fertility
In adult men, hCG is given as an injection to treat hypogonadism, a condition
that causes the body to possess trouble producing the male sex hormone
testosterone.
A boost of hCG can stimulate production of testosterone, which may increase
sperm production — and therefore, in cases where sperm count could also be low,
fertility.
Most men receive a dosage of 1,000 to 4,000 units of hCG injected into a muscle
two to 3 times a week for several weeks or months.
Don’t inject the roots of hair , or wounded or bruised areas.
Make sure your skin is completely clean and dry before you perform your
injection. Allow the alcohol to dry off your skin to scale back stinging.
Numb the injection site on your skin by rubbing it with a cube for a few
seconds before cleaning your skin with the alcohol swab.
Relax the muscles round the area of your body you’re about to
inject. (“Relaxing” are often particularly hard the first time, but we
promise it gets easier!)
Rotate your injection sites to avoid bruising, pain, and scarring — for
instance , one butt cheek at some point , the opposite butt cheek the next.
you'll ask your doctor for a chart to track the injection sites you’ve used.
Take your hCG or sterile water out of the refrigerator quarter-hour beforehand
so it hits room temperature before you inject it. Like brain freeze once you
eat something that’s super cold, a chilly injection can be a little jarring.
