The A-Z of fertility treatment
The topic of fertility treatment is very complex and extensive. Especially when you are dealing with it for the first time, you quickly feel overwhelmed by all the technical terms.
Our fertility lexicon from A-Z covers all the important topics and terms that you will come across again and again on your fertility journey. We have also created a section with the most frequently asked questions of our patients. However, we are always happy to provide you with help and advice and answer any questions you may have in a personal first consultation.
- DHEA
Like the well-known hormones oestrogen and progesterone, DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone) belongs to the family of so-called "steroid hormones" and is therefore chemically derived from cholesterol. It is mainly produced in the adrenal cortex and only to a lesser extent in the ovary.
In women, it is the main source of male sex hormones and is metabolised to testosterone. In the follicles in particular, DHEA is an important source of testosterone, which on the one hand is the precursor of oestrogen here and on the other hand is important for the development and selection of the follicles. This has led to the assumption that it makes sense to prescribe DHEA during stimulation in the context of IVF treatment in order to improve the response of the ovaries. However, numerous studies on this led to highly divergent results. Therefore, there is still no consensus today as to whether this treatment works at all.
Nevertheless, DHEA is prescribed in many IVF centres, especially for women who have a very limited response to stimulation. The dosage here is 25 to 75 mg per day. Since side effects can occur, such as acne, it makes sense to determine the DHEA level before prescribing it, because this shows whether the level is too low and thus whether a supply of DHEA is really necessary.