UpToDate® Content
Overview of ovulation induction
Ovulatory disorders can be identified in 18 to 25 percent of couples presenting with infertility [1]. Most of these women have oligomenorrhea, arbitrarily defined as menstruation that occurs at intervals of 35 days to six months. While ovulation may occasionally occur, spontaneous conception is unlikely.
In vitro fertilization: Overview of clinical issues and questions
In vitro fertilization (IVF) refers to a complex procedure designed to overcome infertility and produce a live birth as a direct result of the intervention; it is one type of assisted reproductive technology (ART). In general, IVF involves stimulating ovaries with a combination of fertility medications and retrieving oocyte(s) from ovarian follicles. The retrieved oocytes may be cryopreserved for future use or fertilized in the laboratory (ie, in vitro) to create embryos. The resultant embryo(s) are transferred into the uterine cavity. These steps typically occur over approximately a two-week interval of time, which is called an IVF cycle.
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