It has been known for some time that women with endometriosis have had a poorer prognosis for success with IVF than women who do not suffer from the condition.
In an attempt to reverse this negative effect from endometriosis, several strategies have been employed including surgery to remove endometriomas and cauterize endometrial implants and pretreatment before the IVF cycle with prolonged Lupron or drugs like letrozole and norethindrone.
Now a study reported in the August 2010 issue of Fertility & Sterility shows that six to eight weeks of pretreatment with birth control pills gives women with endometriosis the same chance of success as women having IVF for other reasons. The study also concluded that the prolonged regimen of birth control pills did not adversely affect egg production.
It sounds almost too good to be true. As we start to use this simple method of pretreatment we will get a sense if it works out as well as this study claims.
