Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) is produced primarily from the adrenal gland (85%) under the influence of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and to a lesser extent by the ovaries. DHEA is an intermediate in the sex steroid pathway and is converted to testosterone and estradiol within the ovaries. The anti-ageing properties of DHEA were first described in 1996, together with the decline in DHEA with advancing age. In reproductive medicine, DHEA has been hypothesised to play a role in improving folliculogenesis through multiple mechanisms. The first report of a possible benefit from DHEA in an IVF setting was in a case report published in 2005. A 42-year-old woman with an initial diagnosis of reduced ovarian reserve and who had one oocyte retrieved in her first IVF cycle self-medicated concomitantly with over-the-counter DHEA supplements and acupuncture. Her oocyte yield was noted to be steadily increasing with each ovarian stimulation, with 17 oocytes being retrieved after her ninth stimulation attempt.