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Medicine by the Numbers

Gonadotropins for Infertility in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Katherine Nadolski, MD
Victoria Sullivan, MD

American Family Physician. 2026;113(1):18A-18B.

Author disclosure: No relevant financial relationships.

KATHERINE NADOLSKI, MD, and VICTORIA SULLIVAN, MD, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston

Address correspondence to Katherine Nadolski, MD, at kan301@musc.edu.

Author disclosure: No relevant financial relationships.

  1. 1.Balen AH, Morley LC, Misso M, et al. The management of anovulatory infertility in women with polycystic ovary syndrome: an analysis of the evidence to support the development of global WHO guidance. Hum Reprod Update. 2016;22(6):687-708.
  2. 2.Norman RJ, Dewailly D, Legro RS, et al. Polycystic ovary syndrome. Lancet. 2007;370(9588):685-697.
  3. 3.Brown J, Farquhar C. Clomiphene and other antioestrogens for ovulation induction in polycystic ovarian syndrome. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2016(12):CD002249.
  4. 4.Homburg R. Clomiphene citrate—end of an era? A mini-review. Hum Reprod. 2005;20(8):2043-2051.
  5. 5.Weiss NS, Kostova EB, Mol BWJ, et al. Gonadotropins for ovulation induction in women with polycystic ovary syndrome. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2025(4):CD010290.
  6. 6.Weiss NS, Nahuis MJ, Bordewijk E, et al. Gonadotrophins versus clomifene citrate with or without intrauterine insemination in women with normogonadotropic anovulation and clomifene failure (M-OVIN): a randomised, two-by-two factorial trial. Lancet. 2018;391(10122):758-765.
  7. 7.Gadir AA, Mowafi RS, Alnaser HM, et al. Ovarian electrocautery versus human menopausal gonadotrophins and pure follicle stimulating hormone therapy in the treatment of patients with polycystic ovarian disease. Clin Endocrinol (Oxf). 1990;33(5):585-592.
  8. 8.Homburg R, Eshel A, Kilborn J, et al. Combined luteinizing hormone releasing hormone analogue and exogenous gonadotrophins for the treatment of infertility associated with polycystic ovaries. Hum Reprod. 1990;5(1):32-35.
  9. 9.Larsen T, Larsen JF, Schiøler V, et al. Comparison of urinary human follicle-stimulating hormone and human menopausal gonadotropin for ovarian stimulation in polycystic ovarian syndrome. Fertil Steril. 1990;53(3):426-431.
  10. 10.McFaul PB, Traub AI, Thompson W. Treatment of clomiphene citrate-resistant polycystic ovarian syndrome with pure follicle-stimulating hormone or human menopausal gonadotropin. Fertil Steril. 1990;53(5):792-797.
  11. 11.Sagle MA, Hamilton-Fairley D, Kiddy DS, et al. A comparative, randomized study of low-dose human menopausal gonadotropin and follicle-stimulating hormone in women with polycystic ovarian syndrome. Fertil Steril. 1991;55(1):56-60.
  12. 12.Seibel MM, McArdle C, Smith D, et al. Ovulation induction in polycystic ovary syndrome with urinary follicle-stimulating hormone or human menopausal gonadotropin. Fertil Steril. 1985;43(5):703-708.
  13. 13.Balen A, Platteau P, Nyboe Andersen A, et al. Highly purified FSH is as efficacious as recombinant FSH for ovulation induction in women with WHO Group II anovulatory infertility: a randomized controlled non-inferiority trial. Hum Reprod. 2007;22(7):1816-1823.
  14. 14.Gerli S, Casini ML, Unfer V, et al. Ovulation induction with urinary FSH or recombinant FSH in polycystic ovary syndrome patients: a prospective randomized analysis of cost-effectiveness. Reprod Biomed Online. 2004;9(5):494-499.
  15. 15.Platteau P, Nyboe Andersen A, Balen A, et al.; Menopur Ovulation Induction (MOI) Study Group. Similar ovulation rates, but different follicular development with highly purified menotrophin compared with recombinant FSH in WHO Group II anovulatory infertility: a randomized controlled study. Hum Reprod. 2006;21(7):1798-1804.
  16. 16.American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists' Committee on Practice Bulletins—Gynecology. ACOG practice bulletin no. 194: polycystic ovary syndrome. Obstet Gynecol. 2018;131(6):e157-e171.

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This series is coordinated by Christopher W. Bunt, MD, AFP assistant medical editor, and the NNT Group.

A collection of Medicine by the Numbers published in AFP is available at https:// www.aafp.org/afp/mbtn.

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