Gonadotropins, which are the hormones used to treat infertility, are administered by injection. Many patients do not realize that mixing medications and administering an injection can play an important role in the success of treatment. The following guidelines are designed to help pa-tients administer the necessary injections related to infertility treatment safely, successfully and with maximum comfort.

Before you begin

Before beginning the injection process, make sure your hands, materials and work area are all clean. This is important because you will be handling needles, which must remain sterile. If you are concerned that a needle may be contaminated, immediately throw it away and use a new one. A needle can become contaminated if it touches anything other than the inside of the am-pule or needle cap.

Fertility medications are administered through either a subcutaneous or an intramuscular in-jection. It is important that you understand the difference between these two types of injections:

Subcutaneous - Subcutaneous injections are administered through a shorter (usually ½ inch) needle that delivers medication to the tissue just under the skin, usually through the back of the arm, abdomen or top of the thigh.

Intramuscular - Intramuscular injections require the use of a longer (1-2 inch) needle that de-livers medication deep into muscle tissue. These injections are most often administered to the mid-thigh or buttock.