hCG (chorionic gonadotropin): fertility drug, side effects and doping

In short

hCG is a hormone made during pregnancy and used as a prescription medicine in fertility treatment [1]regulator [3]official. It has not been shown to work for weight loss [11, 12]A, and in Finland it is a doping substance under the Criminal Code [6]regulator.

What is hCG?

hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin, the pregnancy hormone) is a polypeptide hormone made by the placenta, built from an alpha and a beta subunit. The alpha subunit is essentially the same as in the pituitary hormones LH, FSH and TSH, and the beta subunit tells them apart [3]official. During pregnancy hCG maintains the corpus luteum and its secretion of oestrogen and progesterone [3]official.

As a medicine, hCG comes in two kinds. The older one is extracted from the urine of pregnant women [3]official. The newer one, choriogonadotropin alfa (Ovitrelle), is made in Chinese hamster ovary cells by genetic engineering, and its amino acid sequence is the same as that of urinary hCG [2]official.

In the EU, Ovitrelle received a marketing authorisation valid throughout the Union on 2 Feb 2001 [1]regulator. In EMA's Article 57 data (as of 9 Oct 2026), Finland also had a national product, Gonasi Set (IBSA), given into a muscle or under the skin [4]regulator. Chorionic gonadotropin and chorionic gonadotropin alfa are on annex 1 of Fimea's medicines list [5]regulator. Basics: What are peptides?. All substances: Peptides A-Z.

Evidence at a glance

Each cell gives the kind of study and its source. The letter is the evidence level, not the result.

Claimed effectHumansAnimalsCells
Final egg maturation in fertility treatmentApproved use [2]official; Cochrane: more live births than a GnRH agonist, but more OHSS [18]A--
Triggering ovulation in clomiphene treatmentCochrane, 2 trials: no difference in live births, evidence inadequate [19]A--
Sperm production in men with a pituitary hormone deficiencyApproved use in the US [3]official; meta-analysis of 41 studies: sperm in 78% [13]B--
Descent of an undescended testisMeta-analysis 1995: better than placebo [15]A; meta-analysis 2018: not better than placebo [16]A--
Weight lossPlacebo-controlled trial and meta-analysis: no benefit [11, 12]A--
Recovery after anabolic steroidsRetrospective cohort of 79 men, not randomised [22]B; no quality studies [25]--
SafetyOHSS in about 4% in trials of Ovitrelle (choriogonadotropin alfa) [2]official; in men, among others, breast growth and oedema [3]official--

"-" = no such study is known.

What is hCG used for?

hCG is used in fertility treatment and, in some countries, also in hormone treatment of boys and men. The approved uses vary by product and country:

Outside medical use, according to Dopinglinkki, people using anabolic steroids use hCG to prevent the hormonal shutdown caused by steroids and to restart the body's own testosterone production [30]E, not peer-reviewed. In a survey, gym clients who used steroids were more likely than others to misuse fertility drugs such as hCG [28]B.

How does hCG work?

hCG acts almost exactly like the pituitary luteinising hormone (LH) and also has a small FSH-like effect [3]official. It binds to the same cell-membrane receptor as LH, the LH/CG receptor [2]official.

Has hCG been studied in humans?

Yes, extensively. There are several Cochrane reviews of randomised trials in fertility treatment [18, 19, 20, 21]A, and meta-analyses of treatment in men and boys [13]B [15, 16]A. Use after anabolic steroids has only observational studies [22]B [26].

Fertility treatment

Men and boys

Weight loss

Recovery after anabolic steroid use

Who researches hCG?

The use of hCG in fertility treatment is assessed by Cochrane reviews [18, 19, 20, 21]A. The andrology department of Concord Hospital in Sydney has published both the meta-analysis of male hormone treatment and the study of recovery in steroid users [13, 23]B, and Handelsman of the same department wrote the review on banning hCG in sport [27]. A group at Rigshospitalet in Copenhagen has studied the testes of past users [24]B. Hormone treatment of undescended testis has been assessed by a Finnish group [15]A and by a Nordic expert group [17].

Who wrote this page: the editorial team

This page was written by the Molecular Recovery editorial team. The draft was made with the help of AI, and the claims were checked against the sources (AI policy). The page has not been medically reviewed. How we work: About us.

How long does hCG stay in the body?

hCG stays in the body for days. According to the Ovitrelle summary of product characteristics, the half-life of choriogonadotropin alfa given under the skin is about 30 hours, and about 40% of the dose reaches the bloodstream. Given into a vein, it distributes into the extracellular fluid with a half-life of about 4.5 hours [2]official.

According to the summary of product characteristics, Ovitrelle can interfere with blood or urine hCG measurement for up to ten days and give a false positive pregnancy test [2]official.

What are the side effects of hCG?

The main harm of hCG in women is ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS), and in men it can cause harms related to increased male hormones [2, 3]official. More: Side effects and safety.

Women in fertility treatment

In Ovitrelle trials, OHSS occurred in about 4% and the severe form in less than 0.5%, and the risk rose with the dose [2]official. In OHSS, fluid can collect in the abdominal cavity and around the lungs, and very rarely the severe form is complicated by ovarian torsion or a blood clot. According to the summary of product characteristics, hCG plays a key role in triggering OHSS, and the syndrome can be more severe if pregnancy occurs [2]official.

Common side effects (up to 1 in 10) are headache, abdominal pain and bloating, nausea, vomiting and injection-site reactions. Very rare are severe allergic reactions and blood clots [2]official. During treatment, multiple pregnancies and miscarriages are more common than in natural pregnancy, and women with a history of tubal disease have a higher risk of ectopic pregnancy [2]official.

Men and boys

The US label lists headache, irritability, restlessness, depression, fatigue, oedema, early puberty, breast growth (gynaecomastia) and injection-site pain as adverse reactions [3]official. Because androgens can cause fluid retention, hCG is used with caution in patients with heart or kidney disease, epilepsy, migraine or asthma. Prostate cancer or another androgen-dependent tumour is a contraindication [3]official.

Anaphylaxis and other allergic reactions have been reported with urinary hCG products [3]official.

Interactions and who has no data

According to the Ovitrelle summary of product characteristics, no interaction studies have been done, but no clinically significant interactions have been reported during hCG treatment [2]official. hCG can interfere with laboratory tests for LH and pregnancy [2, 3]official.

Ovitrelle is not meant for use during pregnancy or breastfeeding [2]official. According to the US label, the safety and effectiveness of hCG in children under 4 have not been established, and its cancer-causing potential has not been studied in long-term animal studies [3]official.

What speaks against it and what is unknown

The benefit of hCG in fertility treatment is established, but the evidence for weight loss is negative, and there are no randomised trials of its use after steroids [11, 12]A [25, 26].

Counter-evidence

What the evidence does not support

What is not known

hCG dosing in studies

The EU hCG product Ovitrelle is a prescription medicine [1]regulator, so this site has no dose page or calculator for hCG. The dose is decided by the treating doctor according to the product's approved information [2, 3]official.

In the studies, hCG was given as an injection under the skin or into a muscle. In fertility treatment it is usually given as a single injection after the follicles have been grown [2]official, and in treatment of men injections were given for months [13]B. Dose amounts are not given on this page.

hCG vs other options: what is the difference?

In studies, hCG is compared with other hormones that do the same job:

Combinations and blends

In treatment, hCG is almost always used together with other hormones. In fertility treatment, follicles are first grown with an FSH or hMG (menotropin) product, and hCG is given after that [2]official. In men, hCG is combined with FSH [13]B, and in a US study it was given alongside testosterone treatment [14]B.

In use after steroids, hCG is combined with clomiphene. The only comparative study we found was retrospective, not randomised [22]B. In a Polish laboratory study, of 63 seized samples declared to contain drugs for use after steroids (including hCG), 34.9% did not contain the declared active ingredient [29]D.

Situation in the United States

In the United States, hCG is a prescription medicine for undescended testis, pituitary-related hormone deficiency in men and triggering ovulation [3]official. The FDA warns about hCG products marketed for weight loss, sold as drops, pellets and sprays online, at weight loss clinics and in some retail outlets. According to the FDA, hCG is not approved for any use without a prescription, nor for weight loss [10]regulator.

Is hCG legal in Finland?

In Finland, hCG is both a medicine and a doping substance under the Criminal Code [5, 6]regulator.

This is not legal or medical advice. Disclaimer.

Is hCG doping?

Yes, in men. On the WADA 2026 Prohibited List, chorionic gonadotrophin (CG) is in section S2.2.1, testosterone-stimulating peptides in males. Class S2 substances are prohibited at all times, in and out of competition [8]regulator.

On SUEK's Finnish list, the same section names istukkahormoni (hCG) and koriongonadotropiini alfa, and a footnote says that use of chorionic gonadotropin is prohibited at all times and only for male athletes [9]regulator. In the same section S2.2.1, WADA also names kisspeptin and its analogues [8]regulator.

According to a review, the restriction to men rests on the fact that hCG clearly raises testosterone in men but not in women. In men, testosterone concentration is a reasonable measure of gains in muscle mass and strength [27].

Class S2.2 also includes growth hormone and its fragments, such as AOD-9604 (section S2.2.3), and growth hormone releasing factors (section S2.2.4), for example tesamorelin, sermorelin, CJC-1295, ibutamoren (MK-677), ipamorelin, hexarelin, GHRP-2 and GHRP-6 [8]regulator. In the Finnish doping decree, the same list as hCG includes insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1) [6]regulator; compare IGF-1 LR3.

How is the quality of an hCG product assessed?

The name and batch number of an authorised hCG product are recorded during treatment for traceability [2]official. Of samples seized from the illegal market in Poland and declared to contain drugs for use after steroids (including hCG), 34.9% did not contain the declared active ingredient, and some contained an undeclared one [29]D.

Oral hCG drops and sprays marketed for weight loss are not approved medicines [10]regulator. A certificate of analysis (COA) does not show that a product is safe. More: How to read a COA and check a test result.

The future: what comes next?

New studies of hCG are still being done, mostly in fertility treatment. The Spanish phase 3 trial TRIGGERBEST compares three ways of triggering egg maturation in women with low ovarian reserve: hCG alone, hCG with follitropin delta, and hCG with a GnRH agonist. Results are expected in 2027 at the earliest [31]E, not peer-reviewed.

A Danish observational study is examining the links between LH and hCG and bone, body weight and other hormone functions in adults, and it is expected to run until 2045 [32]E, not peer-reviewed. Registry entries are not peer-reviewed results.

FAQ

What is hCG used for?

To trigger ovulation and egg maturation in fertility treatment [2]official. In the United States, approved uses also include undescended testis and pituitary-related hormone deficiency in men [3]official.

Does hCG cause weight loss?

No. In a placebo-controlled trial and a meta-analysis, hCG did not increase weight loss or reduce hunger [11, 12]A. According to the FDA, hCG is not approved for weight loss [10]regulator.

Does hCG restore testosterone production after steroids?

This is not known for certain. In a retrospective study, the combination of clomiphene and hCG was associated with faster semen recovery [22]B, but there are no randomised trials, and most people recover without treatment within months [26].

What are the side effects of hCG?

In women the main harm is ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome [2]official. In men, harms include breast growth, oedema, headache and mood changes [3]official.

Can hCG give a positive pregnancy test?

Yes. According to the Ovitrelle summary of product characteristics, the product can interfere with hCG measurement for up to ten days and give a false positive pregnancy test [2]official.

What happens when hCG treatment is stopped?

According to the US label, a testis that descended with hCG usually goes back up when treatment is stopped, but sometimes the descent is permanent [3]official. After Ovitrelle, hCG can show up in blood or urine measurements for up to ten days [2]official.

Is hCG legal in Finland?

In Finland hCG is a medicine and a doping substance under the Criminal Code [5, 6]regulator. Chapter 44, section 6 of the Criminal Code makes punishable, among others, a person who unlawfully "imports or attempts to import a doping substance" (our translation) [7]regulator. This is not legal advice.

Is hCG doping?

Yes, in men. WADA prohibits chorionic gonadotrophin for men at all times in section S2.2.1 [8]regulator.

What experiences are there with hCG?

User accounts of hCG have not been compiled on this site. Individual accounts are not research results.

Read the research yourself: sources

Every source opens the original publication or the regulator's page. The level shows what the source itself reports.

  1. European Medicines Agency. Ovitrelle (choriogonadotropin alfa): EPAR medicine overview and authorisation details (marketing authorisation 2 Feb 2001; page updated 23 May 2025). EMA regulator
  2. European Medicines Agency. Ovitrelle: EPAR product information, Annex I summary of product characteristics (last updated 23 May 2025). EMA (PDF) official
  3. U.S. National Library of Medicine, DailyMed. Chorionic Gonadotropin for injection (urinary hCG), Fresenius Kabi USA, label revised February 2025. DailyMed (NIH) official
  4. European Medicines Agency. Article 57 product data (EMA/518502/2018 Rev.90, data as of 9 Oct 2026): chorionic gonadotropin entries, 27 rows in 22 countries; Finland: Gonasi Set (IBSA); European Union: Ovitrelle (Merck Europe). EMA regulator
  5. Finland. Lääkeluettelo (Fimea medicines list), 230/2025, annex 1: "Koriongonadotropiini" and "Koriongonadotropiini alfa". Finlex regulator
  6. Finland. Government Decree on doping substances referred to in chapter 44, section 16(1) of the Criminal Code, 705/2002 (consolidated): "istukkahormoni (HCG)" and "gonadotropiini". Finlex regulator
  7. Finland. Criminal Code 39/1889, chapter 44, sections 6-8 (doping offence, aggravated and petty doping offence). Finlex regulator
  8. World Anti-Doping Agency. 2026 Prohibited List, section S2.2.1: testosterone-stimulating peptides in males, including chorionic gonadotrophin (CG). WADA (PDF) regulator
  9. Finnish Center for Integrity in Sports (SUEK). Dopingaineryhmät ja -aineet 2026 (prohibited substances 2026, based on the WADA list), section S2.2.1 and footnote 2. SUEK regulator
  10. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Avoid Dangerous HCG Diet Products (consumer update, content current as of 13 Jul 2020). FDA regulator
  11. Lijesen GK, Theeuwen I, Assendelft WJ, Van Der Wal G. The effect of human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) in the treatment of obesity by means of the Simeons therapy: a criteria-based meta-analysis. Br J Clin Pharmacol. 1995;40(3):237-243. PMID 8527285 A
  12. Bosch B, Venter I, Stewart RI, Bertram SR. Human chorionic gonadotrophin and weight loss. A double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. S Afr Med J. 1990;77(4):185-189. PMID 2405506 A
  13. Muir CA, Zhang T, Jayadev V, Conway AJ, Handelsman DJ. Efficacy of Gonadotropin Treatment for Induction of Spermatogenesis in Men With Pathologic Gonadotropin Deficiency: A Meta-Analysis. Clin Endocrinol (Oxf). 2025;102(2):167-177. PMID 39445789 B
  14. Hsieh TC, Pastuszak AW, Hwang K, Lipshultz LI. Concomitant intramuscular human chorionic gonadotropin preserves spermatogenesis in men undergoing testosterone replacement therapy. J Urol. 2013;189(2):647-650. PMID 23260550 B
  15. Pyörälä S, Huttunen NP, Uhari M. A review and meta-analysis of hormonal treatment of cryptorchidism. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1995;80(9):2795-2799. PMID 7673426 A
  16. Wei Y, Wang Y, Tang X, et al. Efficacy and safety of human chorionic gonadotropin for treatment of cryptorchidism: A meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. J Paediatr Child Health. 2018;54(8):900-906. PMID 29655188 A
  17. Ritzén EM, Bergh A, Bjerknes R, et al. Nordic consensus on treatment of undescended testes. Acta Paediatr. 2007;96(5):638-643. PMID 17326760 (review)
  18. Youssef MA, Van der Veen F, Al-Inany HG, et al. Gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist versus HCG for oocyte triggering in antagonist-assisted reproductive technology. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2014;(10):CD008046. PMID 25358904 A
  19. George K, Kamath MS, Nair R, Tharyan P. Ovulation triggers in anovulatory women undergoing ovulation induction. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2014;(1):CD006900. PMID 24482059 A
  20. Youssef MA, Abou-Setta AM, Lam WS. Recombinant versus urinary human chorionic gonadotrophin for final oocyte maturation triggering in IVF and ICSI cycles. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2016;4(4):CD003719. PMID 27106604 A
  21. Craciunas L, Tsampras N, Raine-Fenning N, Coomarasamy A. Intrauterine administration of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) for subfertile women undergoing assisted reproduction. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2018;10(10):CD011537. PMID 30341915 A
  22. İbis MA, Yap T, Satchi M, et al. Post-cycle therapy after short-term anabolic-androgenic steroid use: comparative outcomes in recreational bodybuilders. BJU Int. 2026;137(1):154-165. PMID 41147237 B
  23. Shankara-Narayana N, Yu C, Savkovic S, et al. Rate and Extent of Recovery from Reproductive and Cardiac Dysfunction Due to Androgen Abuse in Men. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2020;105(6):dgz324. PMID 32030409 B
  24. Bulut Y, Brandt-Jacobsen N, Madsen R, et al. Characterization of Leydig Cell Dysfunction in Previous Illicit Androgen Users. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2025;110(11):e3709-e3718. PMID 40052766 B
  25. Rahnema CD, Lipshultz LI, Crosnoe LE, Kovac JR, Kim ED. Anabolic steroid-induced hypogonadism: diagnosis and treatment. Fertil Steril. 2014;101(5):1271-1279. PMID 24636400 (review)
  26. Smit DL, Verdegaal T, Bond P, de Ronde W. Post-cycle therapy after androgen abuse: a narrative review of mechanisms, evidence, and clinical perspectives. Endocr Connect. 2026;15(9):EC-26-0319. PMID 42644333 (review)
  27. Handelsman DJ. Clinical review: The rationale for banning human chorionic gonadotropin and estrogen blockers in sport. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2006;91(5):1646-1653. PMID 16478815 (review)
  28. Ip EJ, Doroudgar S, Lau B, Barnett MJ. Anabolic steroid users' misuse of non-traditional prescription drugs. Res Social Adm Pharm. 2019;15(8):949-952. PMID 31303195 B
  29. Blazewicz A, Poplawska M, Daniszewska B, Piorunska K, Karynski M. Illegal and falsified medicines self-administrated in not approved post-cycle therapy after the cessation of anabolic-androgenic steroids - qualitative analysis. Front Chem. 2025;13:1536858. PMID 40177353 D
  30. Dopinglinkki (A-Clinic Foundation). Istukkahormoni (HCG), page updated 6 Aug 2026. Harm-reduction information service, not peer-reviewed. Dopinglinkki E, not peer-reviewed
  31. ClinicalTrials.gov. NCT07816562: Ovulation Trigger Strategies in Women With Low Ovarian Reserve Undergoing Fresh In Vitro Fertilization Cycles (TRIGGERBEST) (Fundación para la Investigación del Hospital Clínico de Valencia; phase 3, randomised, 126 participants planned; recruiting, primary completion estimated Jul 2027). Registry record, read 15 Oct 2026. ClinicalTrials.gov E, not peer-reviewed
  32. ClinicalTrials.gov. NCT07824102: Evaluation of the Role of Luteinizing Hormone (LH) and Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG) in Adult Patients Undergoing Assessment for Endocrine Disorders (sponsor Martin Blomberg Jensen, Denmark; observational, 20,000 participants planned; recruiting, completion estimated Dec 2045). Registry record, read 15 Oct 2026. ClinicalTrials.gov E, not peer-reviewed

Research sources checked on 15 Oct 2026. Regulatory and registry sources checked on 15 Oct 2026.

Evidence levels: A = randomised human trial or meta-analysis · B = observational human study or case series · C = animal study · D = cell or laboratory study · E = not peer-reviewed · regulator = a regulator's assessment or decision, not research evidence. The marker official means official product information (summary of product characteristics or label); it is not research evidence. For a review, the level shows what kind of research the statement rests on. No level: statements that something has not been studied, reviews' interpretations, named hypotheses and the general rules in our certificate-of-analysis guide.

Content is general information about research, not medical advice. If you have symptoms, contact a healthcare professional.