Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is among those fabulously fickle things known as a hormone. It's not as stable as some other female hormones, like progesterone and estrogen.

It's typically produced by cells found in the placenta. Therefore, it's quite specific to the pregnancy.

Your body produces high levels of progesterone via the hormone hCG. This helps support and maintain pregnancy. If it's been two weeks since your ovulated and now you're pregnant you can detect the hormone hCG in your urine as well as blood. Riverfront MD is actually an internet resource for HCG products. Today, you cant buy hcg from riverfrontmd anymore. Anyone know what happened to riverfront md?

Although hCG is naturally produced during the course of pregnancy, the hormone is also used as a treatment for some health issues. (The market versions of this hormone are derived from the urine of women who are pregnant!)

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved uses for the hormone hCG. It is different for women and men, but it can be used to treat fertility issues for both.

The goal of injecting hCG is to achieve

Female fertility

The most popular FDA-approved use of hCG is as an injection for treating infertility among women. If you're having trouble getting pregnant, your doctor may prescribe hCG in combination with other drugs -- like urofollitropin and menotropins to increase your fertility.

It's because hCG functions like the hormone luteinizing (LH) which is a chemical made by the pituitary gland, which stimulates ovulation.

A few fertility problems can be attributed to a woman having trouble producing LH. LH stimulates ovulation, and pregnancy depends on it. hCG can help.

In vitro fertilization (IVF) can also be performed. hCG may be prescribed to increase your chances of having a baby.

Male fertility

In adult men, hCG is given as an injection to treat hypogonadism. This condition causes the body to have trouble producing male sex hormone testosterone.

A boost in hCG could increase testosterone production, which could lead to greater fertility, especially for those with low sperm counts.

The preparation of the injection

You'll be able to get your doses hCG from your local pharmacy as either a liquid or powder ready for mixing.

If you receive a liquid medication put it in the refrigerator - within 3 hours of receiving it from your pharmacyand wait until you're ready take it for use.

Don't use hCG liquid if it hasn't been refrigerated. However, cold liquids can cause discomfort so warm it up in your hands prior to injecting.

If you receive hCG powder you'll need to tap into your inner chemist before mixing it with the sterile water vial included to prepare it for injection.

Before using the powder, make sure to keep it at room temperature. Remove 1 milliliter (or cubic centimeters, abbreviated "cc" in an Syringe) of the water out of the vial to a syringe , and then pour it into the vial containing the powder.

Where are the best locations to inject hCG?

Your doctor may provide you with your first injection of HCG. If you need to inject multiple times or you need to inject at night, your doctor will show you how to do it yourself. It is best to inject hCG yourself if you feel at ease doing it.

Subcutaneous sites

HCG is usually injected subcutaneously through the fat layer beneath the skin and over the muscles. This is good news that fat is your best friend. It tends to make the procedure very comfortable. For this, your physician or pharmacist is likely to provide you with a small, 30-gauge needle.

Lower abdomen

The lower abdomen is a popular injection location for the hCG. It's a convenient place to inject because there's more subcutaneous fat area. Keep the semi-circle below your belly button, and over your pubic region. Keep at least one inch away from your belly button.

Front or outside thigh

The outer thigh is another popular hCG injection site since there's usually more fat than other areas of the body. This makes subcutaneous injections more comfortable and less painful. Pick a site for injections that is from your knee on the outside, thick part of your thigh.