HCG stands for human chorionic gonadotropin. It is an important hormone present in women’s bodies that enables the normal and healthy development of the egg in the ovary. Some HCG information will tell you that it is also responsible for the timely release of the egg during the ovulation period.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAIn recent years, HCG has found several uses in the treatment of certain bodily disorders. In women, it is used to treat infertility by triggering ovulation. In men, it is mostly used to increase the sperm count and thereby increases fertility and chances to sire children.

HCG is used not only in adults but in young boys as well. Upon passing through adolescence, boys’ testicles are supposed to drop towards the scrotum. However, this is not always the case and in situations where this has not yet happened, HCG is administered to trigger the process.

The normal procedure for administration of HCG is injection into a muscle or under the skin. Should you decide to use HCG at home, a nurse, doctor or pharmacist should give you step by step instructions on how to use the injection and when to use it. It is not advisable to inject yourself with HCG if you certain on how to administer it and dispose of the syringes and needles properly.

Most importantly, it is advisable to call you doctor as soon as you experience any of the following side effects. Some of the most common side effects include an increase in body temperature; a tingling feeling or numbness in any of your limbs; migraines or a severe headache.

One important piece of HCG information that you should understand is the increased probability of having a multiple pregnancy. This means that you can move from infertility to bearing twins or even triplets. While this might seem like a blessing to many people, it is not always the case. Some people’s bodies do not have the ability to bear multiple children and this could cause some complications during birth.

Despite the fact that HCG can help you deal with fertility problems, caution should be exercised while using it. The Food and Drug AdminIstration (FDA) has classified HCG as category X. This means that using HCG while one is pregnant could cause defects to the new-born baby. It goes without saying that you should not use HCG if you are pregnant. Once you have tested positive for pregnancy, stop using HCG immediately and inform your doctor. HCG should not be used by a breast-feeding mother until when the baby is over 18 months old.

Lastly, extreme caution should also be exercised when administering HCG to young boys. While this may not necessarily affect the boy’s child bearing ability in future, it could bring about early puberty (otherwise known as precocious puberty). There are certain situations in which it is not advisable to use HCG. People who have ever had cases of the following conditions and diseases fall into this category — heart disease, kidney failure, epilepsy, asthma, frequent migraines or an instance of ovarian cyst.