In praise of ovulation induction for the management of anovulatory subfertility

Rapid advances in assisted reproductive technology have revolutionized fertility treatments for couples worldwide seeking a pregnancy. Although this is promising, concerns are emerging over the overuse of unnecessary assisted conception treatments, particularly among couples with anovulatory subfertility. Some experts are calling for the cessation of ovulation induction as the primary treatment of anovulatory subfertility in favour of more sophisticated assisted conception treatments. In the absence of other causes of subfertility, ovulation induction in patients with type 1 and type 2 anovulation disorders can achieve an up to 80% ovulation rate with a 40% cumulative pregnancy rate and few adverse effects. Considering the various risks and high costs associated with assisted reproductive technology treatments, it is hard to argue for their cost-effectiveness when simpler, safer and cheaper pharmacological ovulation induction could achieve comparable pregnancy rates. We argue here for the safe, effective and ethical use of ovulation induction in this population, supplemented by a judicious use of assisted conception treatments. We emphasize the essential role of ovulation induction as a first-line intervention for couples with anovulatory subfertility delivered within a patient-centred multidisciplinary care model and with a clear escalation pathway to use assisted reproductive technology treatments based on the person's response, characteristics and treatment preference.