Hormones for Fertility and Contraception

Introduction to Fertility Hormones

Fertility hormones are key to regulating the menstrual cycle and have an impact on a woman’s ability to conceive.
Key fertility hormones include follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinising hormone (LH), oestrogen, and progesterone.
FSH is released by the pituitary gland and stimulates the follicles in the ovaries to mature and produce oestrogen.
The increase in oestrogen triggers the release of LH, which leads to ovulation, where the mature egg is released from the follicle.
After ovulation, the follicle becomes a corpus luteum and secretes progesterone. This hormone helps to maintain the lining of the uterus and prepare it for potential implantation of an egg.

Hormonal contraceptives work by manipulating the natural fertility hormones in the body.
Forms of hormonal contraception include the pill, patches, injections, and implants.
Most hormonal contraceptives contain synthetic versions of oestrogen and progesterone.
These hormones stop the body from ovulating, meaning no egg is produced to be fertilised.
These also thicken cervical mucus making it difficult for sperm to enter the womb, and thin the lining of the womb to prevent an egg from implanting.

Sometimes hormonal therapies are used to treat certain fertility issues.
One common form of this is controlled ovarian hyperstimulation, where drugs are used to prompt the ovaries to produce multiple eggs during one cycle.
Treatment often involves using synthetic FSH and LH to stimulate the development and release of eggs.
Intrauterine insemination (IUI) or in vitro fertilisation (IVF) can then be used to increase the chance of conception.

Fertility hormones play vital roles in the female reproductive system, steering the menstrual cycle and pregnancy.
These functions can be controlled artificially using hormonal contraceptives, or manipulated to assist with fertility treatments.
It’s important to understand the functions and mechanisms of these hormones for managing reproductive health.