THE EFFECTIVENESS OF SUBLINGUAL PROGESTERONE ADMINISTRATION DURING CRYOPRESERVED EMBRYO-TRANSFER CYCLES - RESULTS OF A MATCHED FOLLOW-UP-STUDY

Objective: To compare cryopreserved ET pregnancy rates in subjects rec eiving either sublingoal or parenteral P. Design: Matched follow-up st udy. Setting: University-based assisted reproduction program. Patients : Women undergoing cryopreserved ET between January 1993, and December 1994. Cases received a hormone replacement protocol containing oral E (2) and sublingual P and controls received a hormone replacement proto col containing oral E(2) and parenteral P. Cases and controls were mat ched one-to-one according to age, number of embryos transferred, embry o grade, and route of ET. Interventions: Cryopreserved embryos were th awed and transferred in all patients in an identical manner independen t of the route of P administration. Main Outcome Measures: Clinical an d ongoing pregnancy rates. Results: Of 61 ET cycles performed in the s ublingual P group, there were 16 clinical pregnancies (26.2%) and 12 o ngoing pregnancies (19.7%). Of the 61 ET cycles in the parenteral P gr oup, there were 14 clinical pregnancies (23.0%) and 11 ongoing pregnan cies (18.0%). A chi(2) test revealed no significant differences in eit her clinical or ongoing pregnancy rates according to the route of P ad ministration. Conclusions: This data suggests that sublingual P admini stration is an effective alternative to parenteral P administration in preparing the endometrium for the implantation of cryopreserved embry os.