| Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG) is a hormone that is secreted by the trophoblastic cells of the placenta during pregnancy. This is the hormone detected in urine pregnancy tests. This hormone helps support the normal development of an egg in a woman’s ovaries and also will stimulate the release of an egg during ovulation. Historically, HCG has been used as an intervention for infertility or delayed sexual development in boys. Originally, this treatment involved a process of extracting the hormone from the urine of pregnant women and then injecting it as a treatment regimen. The course, dosage, and duration were highly varied (1). The HCG hormone was first discovered by scientists in 1927 and has been used for different treatment modalities over the years. |
