The Effects of Oral Contraceptive Pills on Fertilization in IVF Cycle

This study was planned to determine the effects of the administration of pretreatment oral contraceptive pills on in vitro fertilization. A clinical randomized controlled trial was conducted in Fatemeh – Alzahra Hospital of Babol University of Medical Sciences from 2004 – 2005, on 102 women with tubal or pelvic adhesive disease as the cause of their infertility, normal ovulatory cycle, of age under 40 years, and no male factor. Pretreatment with oral contraceptive pills was administered for 51 patients, and a similar number of women did not receive any pretreatment. The flare protocol was used in all treatment cycles combined with an individualized dose of human menopausal gonadotrophin depending on previous response, age, and early follicular stage serum FSH level. Both groups were similar in the mean of women’s age, the duration of infertility, the mean of FSH and LH levels, and the distribution of various infertility etiologies. Transvaginal ultrasonograghy was performed twice in pre-treatment cycle and initial cycle on day 2 to identify complication of ovarian cysts formation. The mean number of follicles (6. 4 ± 3.7 vs 8.8± 4.6) and oocyte retrieved 5.7± 4.7 vs 6.6 ± 5.5) were similar in OCP and control groups. OCP group had significantly the mean number of administration of ampoules of hMG used per cycle (39.9 ± 19.5 vs 34.8± 14.6) and the duration of ovarian stimulation (75.8± 11.8 vs 13.5 ± 7.1) more than the control group (P < %5). The ovarian cyst formation was similar in the two groups. Fertilization rate had no significant difference between OCP and control group (%54 vs 43%). In multivariate analysis, independent predictors of clinical fertilization were women’s age with negative correlation and the number of oocytes with positive correlation. Pre- treatment of OCP cycle with oral contraceptives did not improve fertilization OCP cycle