Short-acting oral contraceptives are often used during infertility treatment, especially in patients with irregular menstrual cycles. However, many patients shake their heads as soon as they hear that it is a contraceptive pill: Doctor, I am here to treat infertility, how can I use contraceptive pills?
In fact, modern oral contraceptives are low-dose estrogen and progestin complexes that happen to fit the regularity of women’s menstrual cycle, are easy and convenient to take, and have been widely used in the treatment process of many gynecological diseases other than contraception, including infertility.
Let’s take a look at some of the contraceptives commonly used in infertility treatment.
Trade names
Ethinylestradiol (μg)
Progestin (mg)
Type of progestin
Maftolone
30
0.15
Dexprogesterone
Daine-35
35
2.00
Ciproterone
Ursine
30
3.00
Drospirenone
The endocrine disorder caused by polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the first cause of anovulation, characterized by persistently high levels of luteinizing hormone (LH) and/or testosterone (T) and multiple small follicle development. The use of the above-mentioned oral contraceptives is often required to adjust the body’s reproductive endocrine hormone levels and menstrual cycle before promoting ovulation for pregnancy, which usually takes 3-6 months. Among them, Mafolone is the cheapest; Daing-35 is preferred in the treatment of hyperandrogenemia because of the highly effective hypoandrogenic effect of its cyproterone acetate; Eusemide can also be used in patients with hypertension because of its anti-salicorticoid activity of drospirenone, which can control weight gain and blood pressure due to water and sodium retention.
Oral contraceptives are also commonly used during assisted reproductive techniques (IVF): pre-treatment with short-acting oral contraceptives before treatment to control synchronization of menstrual cycles and follicles; suppression of ineffective ovulation of the ovaries before the next frozen embryo transfer after egg retrieval to protect and promote recovery of ovarian function.
Most importantly, oral contraceptives are short-acting agents that are quickly metabolized and cleared in the body, and there is no risk of fetal malformation from the drug itself, so you can prepare for pregnancy or promote ovulation to help you conceive after you stop taking the pill. Regular use is to start taking one tablet daily for 21 days on day 3-5 of a natural menstrual cycle or withdrawal bleeding, stopping about 3-5 days to start withdrawal bleeding and restarting the medication on day 3-5 of bleeding. You should not miss any dose during the medication period, otherwise it will cause fluctuation of hormone level in the body and irregular vaginal bleeding.
So it seems that modern short-acting oral contraceptives are also effective in helping pregnancy when used properly! Do you agree with this idea?