Jan
The most common method of delivering hormone treatment in adults and children is injections. These injections can either be administered by yourself or a third party. Irrespective of the person giving the injection, it’s vital to follow all necessary safety measures to ensure the expected results.
The same goes for Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG) injections. Like other hormone therapies, HCG can be used to treat various conditions in women, men, and boys. If it’s your first-time injecting HCG, this article is for you.
So read on to learn everything you need to know about HCG shots and the step-by-step guide to injecting HCG safely.
What is HCG?
Human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) is unlike several female hormones such as estrogen or progesterone. It is secreted by placenta cells which makes it highly relevant during pregnancy. The HCG induces the female body to secrete lots of progesterone to enable the sustenance of pregnancy. Hence, it can be detected in the blood or urine during pregnancy.
Human chorionic gonadotropin is also available as HCG 5000iu injections, apart from its natural production in pregnancy. These injections typically help treat different health conditions. Primarily, it is used as a treatment for fertility in both men and women.
Let’s take a closer look.
Reasons For Injecting HCG
Fertility in women
The standard or FDA-approved reason for using HCG injection is to treat female infertility. Women who can’t conceive may get a doctor’s prescription for HCG and other drugs like urofollitropin and menotropins. Together, these promote fertility. The reason is that HCG is similar to luteinizing hormone (LH) in how it affects the body. Typically, this 5000 – 10000 IU of HCG is the recommended dose for injection, administered into the muscle or under the skin.
Fertility in men
Adult males may receive HCG injections as treatment for hypogonadism, a condition that results in the inability to produce testosterone, the primary male hormone. HCG can trigger testosterone production, leading to higher sperm production. Thus, issues of low sperm count can be treated with this hormone. Most men must receive between 1000 – 4000 units of HCG, usually injected intramuscularly twice or three times per week for many weeks or months.
Getting Ready For Your Injection
You can buy HCG 5000iu online or from a local pharmacy. The product comes as a powder or liquid. Ideally, you want to keep liquid HCG in the refrigerator. However, you can use the warmth of your hands to remove the cold before injecting. That’s because cold liquid may feel uncomfortable upon injection.
If powdered, you’ll need to mix yourself using a vial of sterile water. Usually, this means using a syringe to add one milliliter or cc of vial water to the powder. Then close and roll the vial around gently until the powder dissolves in the water.
Tip: It’s not advisable to vigorously shake the vial since this can render the medication ineffective.
Steps For Subcutaneous Injections
Step 1
Get the needed items together, they are:
- Bandages
- Syringes and needles
- Alcohol wipes
- Cause
- Bandages
- HCG
Step 2
According to the CDC, you should sanitize your hands with water and soap for at least 20 seconds, try with a clean towel, and then wipe the injection site with alcohol before injecting.
Step 3
Ensure your syringe contains no air but is full when holding the needle straight. You only need to push the plunger down to remove bubbles and air out.
Step 4
Grab between the figures of one hand a fold of skin, 1-2 inches thick. Then gently push your needle into the skin at a 90-degree angle just into the subcutaneous fat above your muscle.
Step 5
Steadily empty your needle by pressing the plunger, releasing its contents into the layer of fat. Hold the needle in place for 10 seconds max after releasing the HCG, and slowly remove your needle while holding onto your flesh.
Step 6
After your needle is out, let go of the pinched skin. If you notice bleeding, use gauze to clean and a bandage to cover.
Step 7
Get rid of your syringe and needle safely.
Steps For Intramuscular Injections
You will need to follow most of the previous steps for injection into the muscles. But when you get to where you have to pinch your skin, that’s where things differ. First, you won’t have to grab a fold of skin. Instead, you will have to flatten out your skin on the injection site using a hand and its fingers. With this hand firmly in place, slowly plunge the need into the skin until it enters your muscle. Don’t remove your hand until after you take out the needle.
Here too, you want to dispose of your needle and syringe in a safe place. But if you notice some bleeding, don’t get alarmed. This is normal. Use your gauze to dag the blood dry and keep the gauze there if the bleeding continues or until it stops.
Tips to Keep in Mind
Pay close attention to every instruction and the directive that comes with the package when you buy 5000iu HCG. Every time you inject yourself, don’t forget the thorough washing of hands that should come before and after.
Also, scarring, bruising, or bleeding are possibilities that come with injections, and you should be prepared to deal with them by having all the necessary items. Furthermore, failure to use the correct technique or properly follow the steps can result in painful shots.
Use can use the following tips to avoid necessary pain:
- Avoid injecting, bruised, wounded sites, or roots of body hair.
- Let the alcohol dry before piercing the skin with your needle.
- An ice cube can help numb the injection area.
- Keep your muscles relaxed during injections.
Not For Everyone
HCG injections are favorable for everyone. As such, you want to avoid it if you have any of the following:
- Asthma
- Epilepsy
- Migraine
- Heart disease
- Precocious (early) puberty
- Epilepsy
- Cancer of the breast, prostate, ovaries, pituitary gland, uterus, or hypothalamus
- Hormone-induced conditions
Conclusion
Injecting HCG is common in cases like IUIs, IVF, and other fertility conditions. Despite seeming like an unsettling task, injecting yourself isn’t a big deal as long as you know how to go about it. On the contrary, knowing what to do and giving yourself shots can feel empowering down the line. As with anything, there is a learning curve, and hopefully, this step-by-step provides the help needed to help get you started in the right way. Finally, keep your HCG away from children.
References
https://doi.org/10.1111/jsm.12890
https://www.cdc.gov/features/handwashing/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5454984/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27263125/
