PATIENT RESOURCES: GLOSSARY OF TERMS
Anovulation: The failure to ovulate.
Artificial Insemination (AI): The depositing of sperm in the vagina or in the cervix the cervix or directly into the uterus, with the use of a syringe instead of by intercourse.
Aspiration Cycle: An initiated ART cycle in which one or more follicles are punctured and aspirated using ultrasound guidance irrespective or whether or not oocytes are retrieved.
Artificial Insemination Homologous (AIH): Artificial insemination with the husband’s sperm. The sperm may be washed and injected directly into the wife’s uterus (IAIH).
Assisted Hatching: An in-vitro procedure in which the zona pellucida of an embryo is perforated by chemical, mechanical, or laser-assisted methods to assist separation of the blastocyst from the zona pellucida.
Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART): Several procedures employed to bring about conception without sexual intercourse, including IUI, GIFT, and ZIFT.
Azoospermia: Semen containing no sperm, either because the testicles cannot make sperm or because of blockage in the reproductive tract.
Basal Body Temperature (BBT): Your body temperature when taken at its lowest point, usually in the morning before going to bed. Charting BBT is used to predict ovulation.
Beta hCG Test (BhCG): A blood test used to detect very early pregnancies and to evaluate embryonic development.
Cancelled Cycle: An ART Cycle in which ovarian stimulation or monitoring has been carried out with the intent of undergoing ART but which did not proceed to follicular aspiration or IUI; or in the case of a thawed embryo, to transfer.
Capacitation: A process that sperm undergo as they travel through the women’s reproductive tract. Capacitation enables the sperm to penetrate the egg.
Cervical Mucus: A viscous fluid plugging the opening of the cervix.
Cervical Stenosis: A blockage of the cervical canal from a congenital defect or from complications of surgical procedures.
Cervix, Incompetent: A weakened cervix, which opens up prematurely during pregnancy and can cause the loss of the fetus.
Chocolate Cyst: A cyst in the ovary that is filled with old blood; endometrioma.
Chromosome: The structures in the cell that carry the genetic material (genes). The human has forty-six chromosomes, twenty-three coming from the egg and twenty-three coming from the sperm.
Clinical Pregnancy: Evidence of pregnancy by clinical or ultrasound parameters.
Clinical Pregnancy Rates: The number of clinical pregnancies expressed per 100 initiated cycles, aspiration cycles, or embryo transfer cycles.
Clomiphene Citrate (Clomid, Serophene): A fertility drug that stimulates ovulation through the release of gonadotropins from the pituitary gland.
Controlled Ovarian Hyperstimulation (COH): Medical treatment to induce the development of multiple ovarian follicles to obtain multiple oocytes at follicular aspiration.
Cryopreservation: The freezing and storage of gametes, zygotes, or embryos.
Danazol (danocrine): A medication used to treat endometriosis.
Ectopic Pregnancy: A pregnancy outside of the uterus, usually in the fallopian tube.
Egg Retrieval: A procedure used to obtain eggs from ovarian follicles for use in in-vitro fertilization.
Embryo: The early products of conception; the undifferentiated beginnings of a baby.
Embryo Donation: The transfer of an embryo resulting from gametes that did not originate from the recipient or her partner.
Embryo Transfer: Placing an egg fertilized outside the womb into a woman’s uterus or fallopian tube.
Embryo Transfer Cycle: An ART cycle in which one or more embryos are transferred into the uterus or fallopian tube.
Fertility Workup: The initial medical examinations and tests performed to diagnose or narrow down the cause of fertility problems.
Fertilization: The combining of the genetic material carried by sperm and egg to create an embryo.
Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH): A hormone found in humans and other animals. It is synthesized and secreted by gonadotropes of the anterior pituitary gland. FSH regulates the development, growth, pubertal maturation, and reproductive processes of the body.
Gamete Intrafallopian Transfer (GIFT): Eggs are removed from a woman's ovaries, and placed in one of the Fallopian tubes, along with the man's sperm.
Gestational Age: Is the age of an embryo or fetus (or newborn infant). In humans, a common method of calculating gestational age starts counting either from the first day of the woman's last menstrual period (LMP) or from 14 days before conception (fertilization). Counting from the first day of the LMP involves the assumption that conception occurred 14 days later. If the day of conception is known, the 14th day before conception is used in place of the LMP.
Gestational Sac: Is the first available intrauterine structure that can be used to determine if an intrauterine pregnancy (IUP) exists, until the embryo is identified.
Human Chorionic Gonadotopin (HCG): A glycoprotein hormone produced in pregnancy that is made by the developing embryo soon after conception and later by the syncytiotrophoblast (part of the placenta). Its role is to prevent the disintegration of the corpus luteum of the ovary and thereby maintain progesterone production that is critical for a pregnancy in humans.
Hyperstimulation (Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome, OHSS): Is a complication from some forms of fertility medication. Most cases are mild, but a small proportion can be severe.
Hyperthyroidism: is the term for overactive tissue within the thyroid gland, resulting in overproduction and thus an excess of circulating free thyroid hormones: thyroxine (T4), triiodothyronine (T3), or both. Thyroid hormone is important at a cellular level, affecting nearly every type of tissue in the body.
Hypothyroidism: is the disease state in humans and in animals caused by insufficient production of thyroid hormone by the thyroid gland.
Hysterosalpingogram (HSG): is a radiologic procedure to investigate the shape of the uterine cavity and the shape and patency of the fallopian tubes. It entails the injection of a radio-opaque material into the cervical canal and usually fluoroscopy with image intensification
ICSI (Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection): is an in-vitro fertilization procedure in which a single sperm is injected directly into an egg. This procedure is most commonly used to overcome male infertility problems, although it may also be used where eggs cannot easily be penetrated by sperm, and occasionally as a method of in vitro fertilization, especially that associated with sperm donation.
Implantation (Embryo): is an event that occurs early in pregnancy in which the embryo adheres to the wall of uterus. At this stage of prenatal development, the embryo is a blastocyst
Infertility: primarily refers to the biological inability of a person to contribute to conception
IUI (intrauterine insemination): Artificial insemination is the name for the procedure of placing sperm (or semen) in the reproductive tract of a female by means other than sexual intercourse (or NI) with the intention of impregnating the female.
IVF (In-Vitro Fertilization): is a process by which egg cells are fertilised by sperm outside the womb, in vitro. IVF is a major treatment in infertility when other methods of assisted reproductive technology have failed. The process involves hormonally controlling the ovulatory process, removing ova (eggs) from the woman's ovaries and letting sperm fertilise them in a fluid medium. The fertilised egg (zygote) is then transferred to the patient's uterus with the intent to establish a successful pregnancy.
Luteal Phase: is the latter phase of the menstrual cycle (in humans and a few other animals) or the estrous cycle (in other placental mammals).
Luteinizing Hormone (LH): is a hormone produced by the anterior pituitary gland. In the female, an acute rise of LH – the LH surge – triggers ovulation [2] and corpus luteum development
Meiosis: is a process of reductional division in which the number of chromosomes per cell is cut in half. In animals, meiosis always results in the formation of gametes, while in other organisms it can give rise to spores.
Metrorrhagia is uterine bleeding not related to menses at irregular intervals, particularly between the expected menstrual periods
Mitosis: is the process by which a eukaryotic cell separates the chromosomes in its cell nucleus into two identical sets in two nuclei
Oligospermia: stands for low semen volume and is often mistaken for oligozoospermia, which means few "animals" (spermatozoa) in semen - a medical symptom of low sperm count affecting men
Oocyte Donation: An egg donor provides ova for fertilization in the IVF process. The embryo is placed into the uterus/womb of the future mother (embryo transfer).
Ovarian Cyst: is any collection of fluid, surrounded by a very thin wall, within an ovary
Ovulation: is the process in a female's menstrual cycle by which a mature ovarian follicle ruptures and discharges an ovum (also known as an oocyte, female gamete, or casually, an egg).
Ovulation Induction: Follicle stimulating hormone, gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH), and estradiol have been purified in the laboratory.
Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID): is a generic term for inflammation of the female uterus, fallopian tubes, and/or ovaries as it progresses to scar formation with adhesions to nearby tissues and organs.
PGD: (also known as embryo screening) refers to procedures that are performed on embryos prior to implantation, sometimes even on oocytes prior to fertilization.
Polycystic Ovaries: is one of the most common female endocrine disorders affecting approximately 5%-10% of women of reproductive age (12-45years old) and is one of the leading causes of infertility.
Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD): (also known as embryo screening) refers to procedures that are performed on embryos prior to implantation, sometimes even on oocytes prior to fertilization.
Premature Ovarian Failure: also known as primary ovarian insufficiency (this is the most accurate term as some women may still conceive), premature menopause, primary ovarian failure, hypergonadotropic hypogonadism, as well as gonadal dysgenesis, is the loss of function of the ovaries before age 40
Progesterone: is a C-21 steroid hormone involved in the female menstrual cycle, pregnancy (supports gestation) and embryogenesis of humans and other species
Semen Analysis: evaluates certain characteristics of a male's semen and the sperm contained in the semen.
Sertoli Cell: is a 'nurse' cell of the testes that is part of a seminiferous tubule. It is activated by follicle-stimulating hormone and has FSH-receptor on its membranes.
Sonogram: A diagnostic medical image created using ultrasound echo (sonographic) equipment.
Sperm Motility: describes the ability of sperm to move properly towards an egg. This can also be thought of as the 'quality' of the sperm, which is a factor in successful pregnancies, as opposed to the 'quantity
Surrogate Mother: means using of a substitute mother in the place of the natural mother.
Urologist: is the surgical specialty that focuses on the urinary tracts of males and females, and on the reproductive system of males.
Vasectomy: is a minor surgical procedure wherein the vasa deferentia of a man are severed, and then tied/sealed in a manner such to prevent sperm from entering the seminal stream (ejaculate).
Zygote: is the initial cell formed when a new organism is produced by means of sexual reproduction.
Source: www.wilkepedia.com