Infertility affects at least 10% of couples and the rate may be increasing as women in developed countries delay childbearing until later in life. The source of the infertility is primarily the woman in one-third, the man in one-third, and both in one-third of couples. Management and treatment of infertility usually begins with diagnosis of the cause. In some instances, infertility is not correctable, but in many, fertility can be corrected or improved in part by hormonal or antihormonal therapies and assisted reproductive techniques.
Anovulation in women is perhaps the single most common cause of infertility in women and can be modulated by pharmaceutical approaches. Induction of ovulation can be stimulated by antiestrogens (clomiphene, tamoxifen) or by administration or stimulation of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) with or without luteinizing hormone (LH) and human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). Drugs for infertility are very rare causes of drug induced liver injury, but may be associated with liver abnormalities as a part of the ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS). The following agents are discussed in LiverTox:
References updated: 19 July 2017