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HCG

HCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) is a hormone made by the placenta during pregnancy. It acts almost exactly like luteinizing hormone (LH): in men it signals the testes to make testosterone, and in women it can trigger ovulation. Most approved products are purified from the urine of pregnant women and are labeled in USP units, not by weight.

ApprovedWADA Prohibited at all times in males (S2.2.1)Checked October 2026
Open the HCG calculatorSources

Approval status

FDA-approved as Novarel, Pregnyl and generic chorionic gonadotropin for the three uses below. On March 23, 2020 the FDA moved these products from drug approvals to biologic licenses, and said they are no longer eligible for the compounding exemptions. No HCG product is approved for weight loss.123456

What it’s used or studied for

  • Approved use

    Undescended testicles before puberty (prepubertal cryptorchidism) that are not caused by a physical blockage.1

  • Approved use

    Selected cases of hypogonadotropic hypogonadism in men, where low testosterone comes from a pituitary problem.1

  • Approved use

    Inducing ovulation and pregnancy in some women who do not ovulate, after pretreatment with other fertility hormones (menotropins).1

  • Human studies

    Used alongside testosterone therapy to help preserve sperm production; a small retrospective study found semen quality was maintained.10

  • Human studies

    Weight loss (the "HCG diet"): a meta-analysis found no evidence it works, and the FDA label says it has not been shown to help treat obesity or to add to weight loss from cutting calories.915

Each label shows how strong the evidence is: an approved use, human studies, animal or lab studies only, or a popular claim with no published studies. Being studied is not the same as being proven safe or effective.

Side effects

Common

  • Headache
  • Irritability or restlessness
  • Depression
  • Tiredness
  • Swelling (edema)
  • Breast enlargement in males (gynecomastia)
  • Pain at the injection site
  • Early puberty in boys treated for undescended testicles

Serious or rare

  • Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (in fertility treatment)
  • Enlargement or rupture of ovarian cysts with internal bleeding
  • Multiple births
  • Blood clots in arteries (arterial thromboembolism)
  • Anaphylaxis and other allergic reactions

These come from the FDA labels. The serious ovarian effects apply to its use with other fertility drugs in women.12

Cautions

  • Not for people with prostate cancer or other androgen-dependent tumors, early (precocious) puberty, or a past allergic reaction to HCG.1
  • Use with caution in heart or kidney disease, epilepsy, migraine or asthma, because it can cause fluid retention.1
  • It may cause harm to an unborn baby if given during pregnancy.1
  • It can interfere with lab tests for gonadotropins, especially LH.1
  • Over-the-counter "homeopathic" HCG diet products are unapproved, and the FDA says no HCG product is approved for weight loss.5

Sources

  1. FDA label: Novarel (chorionic gonadotropin) for injection (DailyMed)
  2. FDA label: Pregnyl (chorionic gonadotropin) for injection (DailyMed)
  3. FDA: List of approved NDAs for biological products that were deemed to be BLAs on March 23, 2020
  4. FDA: Notice to compounders of changes that affect compounding on March 23, 2020
  5. FDA: Questions and answers on HCG products for weight loss
  6. WADA 2026 Prohibited List
  7. UniProt P01215: Glycoprotein hormones alpha chain (human)
  8. UniProt P0DN86: Choriogonadotropin subunit beta 3 (human)
  9. Lijesen GK et al. The effect of HCG in the treatment of obesity by means of the Simeons therapy: a criteria-based meta-analysis (Br J Clin Pharmacol, 1995)
  10. Hsieh TC et al. Concomitant intramuscular HCG preserves spermatogenesis in men undergoing testosterone replacement therapy (J Urol, 2013)

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