Which of the following represents a typical step in a standard IVF cycle?

• A. Luteal-phase oral medications only.
• B. Administration of gonadotropins for ovarian stimulation.
• C. Immediate embryo transfer without stimulation.
• D. Clomiphene citrate alone is sufficient for all IVF cycles.

Answer: (B)

A typical IVF cycle begins with stimulating the ovaries using injectable gonadotropins to develop multiple follicles. This mirrors the goal of IVF: to obtain several mature oocytes for fertilization, which increases the chance of creating viable embryos and ultimately pregnancy. Relying on luteal-phase oral medications only won’t reliably produce multiple follicles; skipping stimulation and transferring embryos immediately isn’t how standard IVF is done because there’d be too few eggs to fertilize. Using clomiphene citrate alone generally doesn’t provide enough ovarian response for IVF cycles. After stimulation, embryos are created in the lab and then transferred, often with luteal support, but the key standard step that makes IVF feasible is gonadotropin-driven ovarian stimulation.