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A
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Assisted Hatching : |
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Thinning out the zona pellucida prior to transferring the embryo into the uterus. |
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Abortion : |
| An abortion is the removal or expulsion of an embryo or fetus from the uterus, resulting in, or caused by, its death. This can occur spontaneously as a miscarriage, or be artificially induced through chemical, surgical or other means. |
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Adenomyosis : |
| The penetration and growth of endometrial tissue from the uterine lining into the myometrium is called adenomyosis. |
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Adenosis : |
| 1.) Any disease of the glands. 2.) the abnormal development or formation of gland tissue. 3.) the presence in the vagina of multiple ectopic areas of glandular epithelium. |
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Adhesion : |
| Scar tissue occurring in the abdominal cavity, fallopian tubes, or inside the uterus. Adhesions can interfere with transport of the egg and implantation of the embryo in the uterus. |
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Amenorrhea : |
| The absence of menstruation. |
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Amniocentesis : |
| A test where amniotic fluid is aspirated to test the fetus for genetic abnormalities. |
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Andrologist : |
| A physician-scientist who performs laboratory evaluations of male fertility. |
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Aneuploidy : |
| Condition of having an abnormal number of chromosomes. |
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Artificial Insemination (AI) : |
| Placing sperm into the vagina, uterus or fallopian tubes through artificial means instead of by coitus, usually injected through a catheter or cannula after being washed. |
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Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) : |
| Several procedures employed to bring about conception without sexual intercourse. |
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Azoospermia : |
| Absence of sperm in ejaculate. |
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Abortion : |
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B
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Basal Body Temperature : |
| Your body temperature when taken at its lowest point, usually in the morning before getting out of bed. Charting BBT is used to predict ovulation. |
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Beta HCG Test : |
| A blood test used to detect very early pregnancies and to evaluate embryonic development. |
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Blastocyst : |
| An embryo that has developed for five days after fertilization. |
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Blastocyst Tranfer : |
| Allowing in vitro fertilized embryos to reach blastocyst stage, usually 5 days, before transferring the embryos into the uterus. |
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Blastomere : |
| A cell produced during cleavage of a fertilized egg. |
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C
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Catheter : |
| A hollow flexible tube used to aspirate or inject fluids. |
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Cervix : |
| The opening between the uterus and the vagina. |
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Chemical Pregnancy : |
| A pregnancy where hCG levels are detected, but the pregnancy is lost before a heartbeat is seen on an ultrasound. |
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Chlamydia : |
| A common bacterial sexually transmitted disease. |
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Chocolate Cyst : |
| A cyst in the ovary that is filled with old blood; endometrioma. |
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Conception : |
| The fertilization of an egg by sperm that leads to the creation of a new being. |
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D
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Donor Egg : |
| Eggs donated by one woman to another. |
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Dysmenorrhea : |
| Painful menstruation. |
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E
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Ectopic Pregnancy : |
| A pregnancy located outside of the uterus, usually in a fallopian tube. |
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Egg : |
| The female reproductive cell. |
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Egg Retrieval : |
| A procedure used to obtain eggs from ovarian follicles for use in several ARTs. |
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Ejaculate : |
| The semen and sperm released at orgasm. |
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Embryo : |
| The early products of conception; the undifferentiated beginnings of a baby; the conceptus. |
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Embryologist : |
| A scientist who specializes is embryo development. |
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Embryo Transfer : |
| Placing an egg fertilized outside the womb into a woman's uterus or fallopian tube. |
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Endometrioma : |
| A solitary, non-neoplastic mass containing endometrial tissue and blood. |
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Endometriosis : |
| Growth of endometrial tissue outside the uterus. |
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F
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Fallopian Tubes : |
| Ducts through which eggs travel to the uterus once released from the follicle. Sperm normally meet the egg in the fallopian tube. |
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Fertilization : |
| The combining of the genetic material carried by sperm and egg to create an embryo. |
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Fetus : |
| A term used to refer to a baby during the period of gestation between eight weeks and term. |
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Follicle : |
| A Fluid-filled sac in the ovary which contains an egg that is released at ovulation. |
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G
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Gonorrhea : |
| A sexually transmitted disease that may lead to infertility. |
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H
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Home Pregnancy Test : |
| A test a woman can use at home to test urine for the presence of hCG. |
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Hysterosalpinogram (HSG) : |
| An x-ray of the pelvic organs in which a radio-opaque dye is injected through the cervix into the uterus and fallopian tubes. |
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Hysterectomy : |
| Surgical removal of the uterus and sometimes also the cervix. |
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Hysteroscopy (HSC) : |
| A procedure in which the doctor checks for uterine abnormalities by inserting a fiber-optic device. Minor surgical repairs can be executed during the procedure. |
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I
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Infertility : |
| The inability to conceive after a year of unprotected intercourse in women under 35, or after six months in women over 35, or the inability to carry a pregnancy to term. |
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Intrauterine Insemination (IUI) : |
| A relatively "low-tech" ART which deposits washed sperm directly into the uterus, bypassing cervical mucus and depositing the sperm more closely to the fallopian tubes, where fertilization occurs. |
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In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) : |
| Literally means "in glass." Fertilization takes place outside the body in a small glass dish. |
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J
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Infertility : |
| The inability to conceive after a year of unprotected intercourse in women under 35, or after six months in women over 35, or the inability to carry a pregnancy to term. |
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Intrauterine Insemination (IUI) : |
| A relatively "low-tech" ART which deposits washed sperm directly into the uterus, bypassing cervical mucus and depositing the sperm more closely to the fallopian tubes, where fertilization occurs. |
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In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) : |
| Literally means "in glass." Fertilization takes place outside the body in a small glass dish. |
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L
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Laparoscope : |
| A small telescope that can be inserted into a hole in the abdominal wall for viewing the internal organs; the instrument used to perform a laparoscopy. Used to diagnose and treat a number of fertility problems including endometriosis, abdominal adhesions, and polycystic ovaries. |
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Laparoscopy : |
| Examination of the pelvic organs through use a small telescope called a laparascope. |
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K
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M
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Menopause : |
| The time a woman stops menstruating. |
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Microsurgical Epididymal Sperm Aspiration (MESA) : |
| Using microsurgery to remove sperm from the epididymis for use in in vitro fertilization, often with ICSI. |
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Miscarriage : |
| Spontaneous loss of an embryo or fetus from the womb. |
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N
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O
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Oocyte (Egg) : |
| The female reproductive cell. |
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Ovarian Cyst : |
| A fluid-filled sac inside the ovary. |
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Ovary : |
| The female gonad; produces eggs and female hormones. |
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Ovulation : |
| The release of the egg (ovum) from the ovarian follicle. |
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Ovulation Induction : |
| Medical treatment performed to initiate ovulation. |
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P
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Pap Smear : |
| Removal of cells from the surface of the cervix to study microscopically. |
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Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID) : |
| An infection of the pelvic organs that causes severe illness, high fever, and extreme pain. |
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Penis : |
| The male organ of sexual intercourse. |
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Percutaneous Epididymal Sperm Aspiration (PESA) : |
| A small needle is passed directly into the head of the epididymis and fluid is aspirated. Any sperm found are used in conjunction with in vitro fertilization with ICSI. |
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Progestin : |
| A synthetic progesterone |
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R
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S
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Secondary Infertility : |
| The inability of a couple to achieve a second pregnancy. |
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Semen : |
| The ejaculate fluid containing sperm and secretion from the testicles, prostate, and seminal vesicles. |
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Semen Analysis : |
| A laboratory test used to assess semen quality: sperm quantity, concentration, morphology, and motility. In addition, it measures semen volume and whether or not white blood cells are present, indicating an infection. |
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Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD) : |
| An infectious disease transmitted during sex. |
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Sperm : |
| The microscopic cell that carries the male's genetic information to the female's egg; the male reproductive cell; the male gamete. |
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T
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Testicular Sperm Aspiration (TESA) : |
| A needle biopsy of the testicle used to obtain small amounts of sperm. A small incision is made in the scrotal skin and a spring loaded needle is fired through the testicle. Usually does not result in enough sperm to freeze for later use. |
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Testicular Sperm Extraction (TESE) : |
| An open biopsy where a small piece of testicular tissue is removed through a skin incision. The tissue is placed in culture media and separated into tiny pieces. Sperm are released from within the seminiferous tubules where they are produced and are then extracted from the surrounding testicular tissue. This procedure can be done using local anesthetic of IV sedation. It is possible to get enough sperm to freeze for future use. |
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Transvaginal Ultrasound : |
| An ultrasound examination performed by means of inserting a probe into the vagina |
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U
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Urologist : |
| A physician/surgeon specializing in the urinary tract and male repoductive tract. |
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Uterus : |
| The hollow, muscular female reproductive organ that houses and nourishes the fetus during pregnancy. |
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V
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Vagina : |
| The female organ of sexual intercourse; the birth canal |
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Vaginismus : |
| A spasm of the muscles around the opening of the vagina, making penetration during sexual intercourse either impossible or very painful. |
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Y
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Z
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Zona Pellucida : |
| The protective outer membrane surrounding the egg. |
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Zygote : |
| A fertilized egg which has not yet divided |
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