HCG

Human chorionic gonadotropin is a hormone, not a peptide: a two-chain glycoprotein that acts on the same receptor as luteinizing hormone. In the United States it is an approved prescription drug for cryptorchidism, selected male hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, and ovulation induction, and its use alongside testosterone replacement is off label.

Last updated: September 2026

What is HCG?

HCG, human chorionic gonadotropin, is a hormone rather than a peptide in the sense the "hcg peptide" search usually means. It is a heterodimeric glycoprotein: two separate glycosylated chains, an alpha chain shared with luteinizing hormone, follicle stimulating hormone and thyroid stimulating hormone, and a beta chain that gives it its specificity (UniProt P01215 and P0DN86). We keep it in our peptide library because that is how people look for it, but it is a different class of molecule from a short synthetic peptide.

Sources describe it in slightly different words, and this page does not flatten that: the US prescribing information calls it "a polypeptide hormone", a LiverTox monograph calls the gonadotropins "peptide hormones", a Vietnamese pharmacy monograph calls it a multi-chain peptide hormone, and UniProt files both chains as glycoproteins. Every source calls it a hormone. It is obtained from the urine of pregnant women and standardised by biological assay (US prescribing information). It was first approved in the United States in 1967 for ovulatory dysfunction in women, is sold generically and under trade names such as Novarel and Pregnyl, and recombinant forms are also licensed (LiverTox, PMID 31644163).

In men, hCG acts on the same receptor as pituitary luteinizing hormone (the LHCGR) and stimulates the Leydig cells of the testis to make androgen (PMID 23392092; Vietnamese monograph). That is why it comes up around testosterone replacement: exogenous testosterone suppresses endogenous gonadotropins and sharply lowers intratesticular testosterone, which impairs sperm production (2025 review, PMID 40346275). In the United States hCG is an approved prescription drug under a Biologic License (BLA017067), supplied as a 10,000 unit vial, but its three approved uses do not include testosterone replacement, so that use is off label (US prescribing information).

How It Works

LH-receptor agonist: placental hCG and pituitary luteinizing hormone act on the same receptor, the LHCGR, so hCG delivers an LH-like signal to the testis (PMID 23392092; US prescribing information).

Leydig-cell stimulation: in men hCG stimulates the Leydig cells of the testis to produce androgen, with a small amount of FSH-like activity (Vietnamese monograph, Pharmacity).

The testosterone-replacement problem it targets: exogenous androgens suppress endogenous gonadotropins, lower endogenous testosterone production and sharply reduce intratesticular testosterone, which impairs sperm production, and recovery after stopping shows highly variable timing (2025 review, PMID 40346275).

Estradiol and gynecomastia: hCG can stimulate aromatase and raise estradiol, which a review names as the mechanism behind gynecomastia, the most common side effect of gonadotropin therapy (review, PMID 32445446).

Benefits

May help preserve or restore sperm production in select men receiving testosterone replacement; the 2025 review states this role as hedged and population-limited (review, PMID 40346275)
Sperm concentration improved in 74% of men with prior testosterone use treated with hCG plus FSH, and staying on testosterone did not impede recovery (single-center retrospective cohort, n=77, PMID 39442683)
Over 12 to 24 months of combined hCG and FSH in hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, a narrative review reports testicular growth in almost all patients, spermatogenesis in about 80%, and pregnancy in about 50% (narrative review, PMID 32445446)
Testosterone plus FSH does not produce sperm in complete congenital hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, whereas FSH plus hCG does, which the review reads as evidence that intratesticular testosterone matters (review, PMID 35489414)
Acts on the same receptor as luteinizing hormone to stimulate testicular androgen production (receptor shared per PMID 23392092; mechanism per the Vietnamese monograph)
Listed as one fertility-preserving option alongside SERMs and aromatase inhibitors, used when indicated (2026 joint guideline, PMID 41678706)
For anabolic-steroid-induced hypogonadism it is named among management strategies, but the 2014 review could not be completed as a meta-analysis because no quality studies met the inclusion criteria (review, PMID 24636400)

Dosing Described in Research and Labels

Phase	Dose	Frequency	Duration
Male hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, US label regimen 1	500 to 1,000 USP units, three times a week for 3 weeks, then the same dose twice a week for 3 weeks (US label regimen, not a recommendation)	Intramuscular only, per the US prescribing information	6 weeks total as printed (US prescribing information)
Male hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, US label regimen 2	4,000 USP units three times weekly for 6 to 9 months, then 2,000 USP units three times weekly for a further 3 months (US label regimen, not a recommendation)	Intramuscular only, per the US prescribing information	9 to 12 months as printed (US prescribing information)
Sperm recovery after testosterone use, retrospective cohort	3,000 IU hCG plus 75 IU FSH (cohort dose, not a recommendation, PMID 39442683)	Three times a week; route not stated in the abstract	n=77 men with prior testosterone use, 2020 to 2024; 74% improved sperm concentration; treatment duration not stated in the abstract (PMID 39442683)
Spermatogenesis induction, prepubertal-onset hypogonadotropic hypogonadism	Dose not stated in the abstract (schedule only, PMID 40878119)	hCG injections thrice weekly for 4 weeks, then combined recombinant FSH plus hCG	n=65 enrolled, 50 analyzed; spermatogenesis induced in 41 of 50 (82%), median 7.5 months (PMID 40878119)
Non-obstructive azoospermia from hypogonadotropic hypogonadism	Dose not stated in the abstract (PMID 41682884)	hCG with or without FSH; route not stated in the abstract	n=35 men, mean 12.0 months (range 6 to 24); sperm in ejaculate in 27 of 35 (77%) (PMID 41682884)
Combination hCG plus FSH, narrative review aggregate	Dose not stated in the abstract (narrative review, PMID 32445446)	Subcutaneous or intramuscular, per the review	12 to 24 months; testicular growth in almost all, spermatogenesis in about 80%, pregnancy in about 50% (PMID 32445446)
Spermatogenesis stimulation, Vietnamese monograph (labeled off-label by the source)	1,000 to 2,000 IU (Vietnamese monograph label dose, self-labeled off-label as chỉ định ngoài nhãn, not a recommendation)	Intramuscular, 2 to 3 times weekly, per the Pharmacity monograph	Continued until blood testosterone reaches a physiological level, typically about 2 to 3 months (Pharmacity monograph)
Prepubertal cryptorchidism, US label (an approved use, not TRT)	Several regimens, for example 4,000 USP units three times weekly for 3 weeks, or 15 injections of 500 to 1,000 USP units over 6 weeks (US label regimen, not a recommendation)	Intramuscular; therapy usually begun between the ages four and nine	As printed on the US label (US prescribing information)
Ovulation induction in women, US label (the original approved use)	5,000 to 10,000 USP units, one day after the last menotropins dose (US label regimen, not a recommendation)	Intramuscular, after appropriate menotropins pretreatment	Single dose as printed (US prescribing information)

The US label prints its regimens as ones "advocated by various authorities" and lists no testosterone-replacement indication, so every TRT-adjacent use here is off label. Study rows state only what the abstracts state, and where an abstract gives no figure this table says so. These figures are educational, not a recommendation or a personal protocol. Any dose, schedule or decision to use HCG belongs with a licensed prescriber.

Side Effects

Common

⚠Headache, irritability, restlessness, depression and fatigue (US label)
⚠Edema and fluid retention (US label)
⚠Pain at the injection site (US label)
⚠Gynecomastia, named the most common side effect of gonadotropin therapy and attributed to raised estradiol (review, PMID 32445446)
⚠Nausea and anorexia (LiverTox, PMID 31644163)

Rare

•Precocious puberty in children treated for cryptorchidism; the US label says to stop therapy if signs appear (US label)
•Arterial thromboembolism (US label)
•Anaphylaxis and other hypersensitivity reactions, reported with urinary-derived hCG products (US label)
•Ovarian hyperstimulation, ovarian cyst rupture and multiple births: the US label lists these with menopausal-gonadotropin therapy in women, not male use (US label)
•Testicular neoplasm appears among the rare effects listed in a Vietnamese monograph, recorded here as a listing, not a demonstrated cause (Vietnamese monograph, Pharmacity)

Who Should NOT Use HCG

✕Prostatic carcinoma or other androgen-dependent neoplasm (US label contraindication)
✕Precocious puberty (US label contraindication)
✕Prior allergic reaction to hCG (US label); the Vietnamese monograph extends this to any excipient (Pharmacity)
✕Use with caution, though not an absolute contraindication, in cardiac or renal disease, epilepsy, migraine or asthma, because androgens may cause fluid retention (US label)

What the Studies Measured Over Time

Weeks 1 to 4

In a prepubertal-onset hypogonadotropic hypogonadism series, hCG pretreatment alone raised median testosterone from 0.10 to 3.16 ng/mL before FSH was added; this is a measured group result, not a personal prediction (PMID 40878119).

Months 2 to 3

A Vietnamese monograph describes continuing its off-label spermatogenesis regimen until blood testosterone reaches a physiological level, which it puts at roughly two to three months (Vietnamese monograph, Pharmacity).

Months 6 to 12

Across cohorts, sperm appeared in the ejaculate in about three quarters of men, and one series reported a median time to induced spermatogenesis of about 7.5 months, with wide variation (PMID 41682884; PMID 40878119).

Months 12 to 24

A narrative review reports testicular growth in almost all patients, spermatogenesis in about 80% and pregnancy in about half over 12 to 24 months of combined hCG and FSH; these are aggregate figures, not a guarantee (PMID 32445446).

Notes from Ho Chi Minh City

In Ho Chi Minh City the word hcg on a pharmacy shelf almost always means a pregnancy test strip, which is exactly what a search of Long Chau returns, only test kits and no injectable hormone. The injectable that testosterone forums discuss is a different, prescription product. Men on testosterone ask about it for the reason the reviews give: exogenous testosterone shrinks the intratesticular testosterone that sperm production depends on. What the fetched evidence actually supports is narrow, label regimens written for hypogonadism and cryptorchidism, one retrospective cohort that states an IU figure, and reviews that hedge about which men benefit. Route, schedule and whether to use it at all are a licensed prescriber decision, not a forum one. The pharmacy and registration picture in Vietnam is genuinely unsettled, and this page says so rather than guessing.

Handling and Authenticity

HCG is a prescription hormone, not a research compound sold from a supplier list, so this page names no vendor and quotes no market price. Its US label requires the reconstituted solution to be refrigerated and used within 60 days, which reflects handling under professional supervision. Material bought outside a pharmacy channel carries no guarantee of identity, potency or sterility, and no certificate of analysis was reviewed for this page. Sourcing and any use are decisions for a licensed prescriber.

FAQ

Q: Is HCG a peptide?

A: No. HCG, human chorionic gonadotropin, is a hormone: a two-chain glycoprotein made of an alpha and a beta subunit. Sources describe it in different words, a polypeptide hormone on the US label, a peptide hormone in a LiverTox monograph, a glycoprotein in UniProt, but every source calls it a hormone, and it is a different class of molecule from the short synthetic peptides the word usually implies.

Q: Is HCG approved for use with testosterone replacement (TRT)?

A: No. The US label carries three indications, prepubertal cryptorchidism, selected male hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, and ovulation induction, and testosterone replacement is not among them, so use alongside TRT is off label. A 2026 joint guideline lists hCG as one fertility-preserving option used when indicated (PMID 41678706).

Q: Can HCG help fertility for a man on testosterone?

A: Exogenous testosterone suppresses the signals that maintain intratesticular testosterone and sperm production, and a 2025 review notes that exogenous testosterone is contraindicated in men trying to conceive (PMID 40346275). In a single-center retrospective cohort of 77 men with prior testosterone use, 74% improved sperm concentration on hCG plus FSH, and staying on testosterone did not impede recovery (cohort result, not a recommendation, PMID 39442683). That is retrospective, single-center evidence, not a randomized trial, and no randomized trial of hCG added to TRT with an IU dose and a sperm or intratesticular-testosterone endpoint was found for this page.

Q: Does HCG need refrigeration?

A: For the US product, the label says the reconstituted solution must be refrigerated and used completely within 60 days (US label).

Q: Can HCG affect blood tests during TRT monitoring?

A: The US label notes that hCG may interfere with radioimmunoassay for gonadotropins, particularly luteinizing hormone, which is worth knowing for anyone tracking bloodwork (US label).

Q: Is HCG approved for weight loss?

A: No. The US label opens its indications section with a capitalised statement that hCG has not been demonstrated to be effective for obesity and that there is no substantial evidence it increases weight loss beyond caloric restriction, improves fat distribution, or reduces hunger on calorie-restricted diets (US label).

Availability in Vietnam

HCG is a prescription medicine, not a research compound sold from a supplier list, so this page names no vendor and quotes no price. On the dates checked in September 2026, Long Chau's on-site search returned only hCG pregnancy test strips and no injectable hCG, a genuine null confirmed against a paracetamol control query. Pharmacity publishes an active-ingredient monograph dated 15 April 2026 with no purchasable product or price on that page. An Khang and the national DAV registration result could not be retrieved from our test environment, which is a tooling limit, not evidence of absence. Any decision to use HCG belongs with a licensed physician.

Read the FAQ

Related Peptides

Peptide Library BPC-157 Peptides FAQ

Research & Sources

Chorionic Gonadotropin for injection, US prescribing information · Fresenius Kabi USA / NuCare Pharmaceuticals · DailyMed / openFDA SPL, BLA017067 (2025) Link
Current US label, updated April 11, 2025. Source of the label dose regimens, adverse reactions, contraindications, the obesity disclaimer, the intramuscular-only route, and the 60-day post-reconstitution instruction. Rx only, DEA Schedule None.
Glycoprotein hormones alpha chain (P01215) and Choriogonadotropin beta chain (P0DN86) · UniProt Consortium · UniProtKB (2026) Link
Both chains are filed under the keywords Glycoprotein and Hormone. The alpha chain is shared with LH, FSH and TSH; the beta chain confers receptor and biological specificity.
Gonadotropin resistance · Endocrine Development (2013) (PMID: 23392092)
States that pituitary LH and placental hCG share the same receptor, the LHCGR.
Gonadotropins · LiverTox: Clinical and Research Information on Drug-Induced Liver Injury · NIH Bookshelf (LiverTox) (n.d.) (PMID: 31644163)
Book chapter. Source of the gonadotropin liver-safety statement, common side effects (headache, nausea, anorexia, injection reactions), and the trade names Novarel and Pregnyl.
Testosterone replacement therapy and spermatogenesis in reproductive age men · Nature Reviews Urology (2025) (PMID: 40346275)
Review. Mechanism of TRT suppression of intratesticular testosterone; gonadotropins including hCG may preserve or restore spermatogenesis in select populations; exogenous testosterone is contraindicated in men trying to conceive.
Androgens and spermatogenesis · Annales d'Endocrinologie (Paris) (2022) (PMID: 35489414)
Review. Testosterone plus FSH does not produce sperm in complete congenital hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, whereas FSH plus hCG does; the minimal intratesticular testosterone threshold is a matter of debate.
Optimal restoration of spermatogenesis after testosterone therapy using human chorionic gonadotropin and follicle-stimulating hormone · Fertility and Sterility (2025) (PMID: 39442683)
Single-center retrospective cohort, n=77 men with prior testosterone use, 2020 to 2024. Regimen 3,000 IU hCG plus 75 IU FSH three times a week; 74% improved sperm concentration; route and treatment duration not stated in the abstract.
Induction of Spermatogenesis and Its Predictors in Men with Prepubertal-Onset Hypogonadotropic Hypogonadism Undergoing Gonadotropin Therapy · World Journal of Men's Health (2025) (PMID: 40878119)
Retrospective, 65 men enrolled and 50 analyzed. hCG thrice weekly for four weeks then combined rFSH plus hCG; median testosterone rose from 0.10 to 3.16 ng/mL; spermatogenesis induced in 82%, median 7.5 months. Dose not stated in the abstract.
Fertility Outcomes in Men with Nonobstructive Azoospermia Due to Hypogonadotropic Hypogonadism After Gonadotropin Therapy · Journal of Clinical Medicine (2026) (PMID: 41682884)
Retrospective cohort, 35 men, hCG with or without FSH. Mean therapy 12.0 months (range 6 to 24); sperm in ejaculate in 27 of 35 (77%); 51% achieved biological fatherhood. Dose and route not stated in the abstract.
Gonadotropin Treatment for the Male Hypogonadotropic Hypogonadism · Current Pharmaceutical Design (2021) (PMID: 32445446)
Narrative review. Combined hCG and FSH for 12 to 24 months promoted testicular growth in almost all patients, spermatogenesis in about 80%, pregnancy in about 50%. Gynecomastia is the most common side effect, via hCG stimulation of aromatase. Subcutaneous or intramuscular. Dose not stated in the abstract.
Care of Patients with Male Hypogonadism: A Joint Position Statement (SBEM, SBU, ABEMSS) · International Brazilian Journal of Urology (2026) (PMID: 41678706)
Consensus statement and practice guideline. Lists hCG among fertility-preserving strategies (with SERMs and aromatase inhibitors), used when indicated. Dose not stated in the abstract.
Anabolic steroid-induced hypogonadism: diagnosis and treatment · Fertility and Sterility (2014) (PMID: 24636400)
Intended as a meta-analysis, but no quality studies met the inclusion criteria. Lists hCG among management strategies for anabolic-steroid-associated hypogonadism. Dose not stated in the abstract.
Chorionic Gonadotropin (Human): active-ingredient monograph · Pharmacity · pharmacity.vn (Hoạt chất) (2026) Link
Vietnamese monograph dated 15 April 2026. Reproduces the US male-hypogonadism regimens in IU, gives an off-label spermatogenesis regimen it labels chỉ định ngoài nhãn (1,000 to 2,000 IU intramuscular, 2 to 3 times weekly), lists routes and strengths, and shows no price. No purchasable product on the page.
On-site pharmacy search for "hcg" and "gonadotropin", with a paracetamol control · Nha thuoc Long Chau · nhathuoclongchau.com.vn (2026) Link
On the date checked, returned only hCG pregnancy test strips for "hcg" and no matching product for "gonadotropin"; a paracetamol control returned real drug products from the same server-rendered payload, so the null is genuine, not a rendering artifact. No price recorded because no injectable hCG product was listed.

Important Disclaimer

Educational content only. Not medical advice. HCG is a prescription hormone: in the United States it is approved under a Biologic License (BLA017067) for prepubertal cryptorchidism, selected male hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, and ovulation induction, and its use alongside testosterone replacement is off label. Its registration status with the Drug Administration of Vietnam (DAV) and the Ministry of Health (Bộ Y Tế) was not established by the research behind this page, and this page does not claim it in either direction. Consult a licensed physician before any use.

HCG