OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of luteal phase support with vaginal progesterone on pregnancy rates of the gonadotropin-stimulated intrauterine insemination (IUI) cycles in patients with unexplained infertility with regard tofollicular growth. STUDY DESIGN: A total of 149 patients with unexplained infertility who underwent 166 recombinant follicle stimulated hormone--stimulated IUI cycles were prospectively randomized into 2 groups for luteal phase support. The study group (n = 71) received vaginal progesterone gel supplementation, and the control group (n = 78) received no drug for luteal support. The clinical pregnancy rates and live birth rates per cycle and per patient were compared between the groups. RESULTS: The differences between the groups with regard to clinical pregnancy rates and live birth rates per patient or per cycle were not different among all patients. In cycles with > 1 dominant follicle (multifollicular response), the clinical pregnancy rate per patient was significantly higher in the supported cycles as compared with the unsupported cycles (28.2% vs. 11.4%, respectively, p = 0.04). Reproductive outcomes in cycles with a single dominant follicle (monofollicular response) were not different between supported and unsupported cycles. CONCLUSION: Luteal phase support with vaginal progesterone affects the success of gonadotropin-stimulated IUI cycles with multifollicular response but not with monofollicular response.
RCT Entities:
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of luteal phase support with vaginal progesterone on pregnancy rates of the gonadotropin-stimulated intrauterine insemination (IUI) cycles in patients with unexplained infertility with regard tofollicular growth. STUDY DESIGN: A total of 149 patients with unexplained infertility who underwent 166 recombinant follicle stimulated hormone--stimulated IUI cycles were prospectively randomized into 2 groups for luteal phase support. The study group (n = 71) received vaginal progesterone gel supplementation, and the control group (n = 78) received no drug for luteal support. The clinical pregnancy rates and live birth rates per cycle and per patient were compared between the groups. RESULTS: The differences between the groups with regard to clinical pregnancy rates and live birth rates per patient or per cycle were not different among all patients. In cycles with > 1 dominant follicle (multifollicular response), the clinical pregnancy rate per patient was significantly higher in the supported cycles as compared with the unsupported cycles (28.2% vs. 11.4%, respectively, p = 0.04). Reproductive outcomes in cycles with a single dominant follicle (monofollicular response) were not different between supported and unsupported cycles. CONCLUSION: Luteal phase support with vaginal progesterone affects the success of gonadotropin-stimulated IUI cycles with multifollicular response but not with monofollicular response.