Common medicines used to treat infertility in women include:

    * Clomiphene citrate (Clomid). This oral medicine causes ovulation by acting on the pituitary gland. It is often used in women who have Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) or other problems with ovulation.
   * Human menopausal gonadotropin or hMG (Repronex, Pergonal). This medicine is often used for women who don't ovulate due to problems with their pituitary gland. hMG acts directly on the ovaries to stimulate ovulation. It is an injected medicine.
    * Follicle-stimulating hormone or FSH (Gonal-F, Follistim). FSH works much like hMG. It causes the ovaries to begin the process of ovulation. These medicines are usually injected.
    * Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (Gn-RH) analog. These medicines are often used for women who don't ovulate regularly each month. Women who ovulate before the egg is ready can also use these medicines. Gn-RH analogs act on the pituitary gland to change when the body ovulates. These medicines are usually injected or administered by nasal spray.
    * Metformin (Glucophage). Doctors use this medicine for women who have insulin resistance and/or Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS). This drug helps lower the high levels of male hormones in women with these conditions, aiding in ovulation. Sometimes clomiphene citrate or FSH is combined with metformin. This medicine is usually taken by mouth.
    * Bromocriptine (Parlodel). This medicine is used for women with ovulation problems due to high levels of prolactin, a hormone that causes milk production.

Many fertility drugs increase a woman's chance of having twins, triplets or other multiples. Women who are pregnant with multiple fetuses have more problems during pregnancy. Multiple fetuses have a high risk of being born too early, placing them at a higher risk of health and developmental problems.

Doctors also use surgery to treat some causes of infertility. Problems with a woman's ovaries, fallopian tubes, or uterus can sometimes be corrected with surgery.