A patient and physician friendly stimulation protocol using long acting FSH and progestin priming should be the future of IVF

Abstract

Objective: Needle phobias and concern about the discomfort remain significant disincentives for many women contemplating in vitro fertilization (IVF). The number of injections required in an IVF cycle is increased by the use of most medications which prevent premature ovulation. Mechanism: long-acting follicular stimulation hormone (LA-FSH) that was developed 15 years ago has the ability to stimulate folliculogenesis in a patient for seven days with a single injection, with comparable outcomes to daily injections in assisted reproduction. Many clinicians were hesitated to use it in their patients, fearing an inability to decrease levels of FSH stimulation for 7 days and the resultant increased risks of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS). This occurred prior to the widespread adoption of Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH)-agonist triggering and freeze all embryos for the prevention of OHSS. Conclusions: We suggest LA-FSH protocol with the use of progestins to prevent ovulation, which could be an alternative way to treat IVF patients without any compromise of the effectiveness of the treatments or the safety of the patients.