Fertility Glossary

Anovulation – A condition in which a woman does not release mature eggs on a regular basis for fertilization. Roughly 40 percent of couples that seek treatment for infertility are diagnosed with anovulation.

Artificial Insemination– A procedure in which sperm are introduced into a woman's uterus through clinical means instead of through sexual intercourse. Artificial insemination, also called "intrauterine insemination," increases the likelihood that sperm will reach and fertilize an egg.

Assisted Hatching – To help an embryo break through the zona pellucida (a protective, encapsulating shell) and successfully implant in the uterus, a doctor may thin down or create a small hole in this shell.

Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) – Medical treatments aimed at helping couples with fertility obstacles conceive and give birth to healthy children. In-vitro fertilization, intracytoplasmic sperm injection, and assisted hatching are examples of fertility treatments used to help couples begin successful pregnancies.

Basal Body Temperature (BBT) – A temperature monitored by women attempting to ascertain the best time to try for pregnancy. When a woman ovulates, her basal body temperature will normally rise half a degree. By monitoring her temperature every morning, a woman can determine when she is ovulating.

Cervical Mucus – A fluid inspected by women who are keeping track of when they ovulate. During a woman's monthly menstrual cycle the texture and appearance of her vaginal discharge will change from sticky and white to gel-like and clear. A woman will be most fertile when her cervical mucus is gel-like and clear.

Cervical Position – The position of a woman's cervix during her menstrual cycle. During ovulation a woman's cervix will be high and the skin will feel soft to the touch. After ovulation the cervix lowers and the skin will feel tight and hard.

Clomiphene Citrate – A fertility drug known by the brand names Clomid® and Serophene®. Clomiphene citrate causes a woman's body to mature more egg-containing follicles during an ovulation cycle than it normally would. It comes in tablet form and is usually taken for five days. This fertility drug may cause strong mood swings.

Cryopreservation– A procedure in which embryos or semen are frozen for future attempts at pregnancy. Fertility doctors will often fertilize more eggs than a woman needs in case initial pregnancies are not successful, or in case the woman hopes to have children again at a later time.

Egg Donor – A woman who provides eggs or "ova" to another woman who has no eggs, or whose eggs have been damaged. Donated eggs will be fertilized and implanted in the uterus of the infertile woman.

Embryo – An unborn human in the developmental stage that stretches from conception until roughly the eighth week of pregnancy. During the embryonic stage an embryo's brain begins to grow, the limbs form, and the heart begins to beat. Eggs that are fertilized outside a woman's body are introduced in either the zygote or blastocyst stage of embryonic growth.

Falloposcopy – A procedure in which a woman's fallopian tubes are examined for signs of damage. In some cases surgery may be necessary.

Fertility Drugs – Drugs used to spur ovulation in women and sperm production in men. Doctors will usually prescribe fertility drugs as a first approach to tackling infertility. Clomid®, Serophene®, Pergonal®, and Metrodin® are all commonly used fertility drugs.

Follicles – Spheres of cells that surround immature egg cells within the ovaries. Follicles house eggs as they grow and release them when they reach maturity. Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) causes an egg to mature within a follicle and lutenizing hormone (LH) causes the follicle to release the mature egg and thus begin an ovulation cycle.

Follicle-Stimulating Hormone (FSH) – A hormone produced by the pituitary gland that maintains the maturation process of eggs within ovarian follicles and stimulates sperm growth within the testes.

Gametes – Sex cells that contain half of a person's genetic information. Male gametes are called sperm; female gametes are called eggs or "ova."

Gamete Intrafallopian Transfer (GIFT) – A fertility treatment that, when successful, allows fertilization to occur within a woman's body. During the first stage of the GIFT treatment, a woman receives fertility drugs to stimulate production of multiple follicles and eggs. The woman's hormone levels are measured so that the doctor will know when the eggs have reached maturity. At this point, the eggs are removed, combined with sperm, and quickly inserted into the woman's fallopian tubes through a small incision in her abdomen. GIFT is not an appropriate treatment for women with closed fallopian tubes.

GnRH Agonists – Fertility drugs used to prevent the pituitary gland from releasing FSH and LH hormones. FSH and LH aid in normal ovulation, but may interfere with assisted reproductive treatments. Lupron, Synarel, and Zoladex are GnRH agonists used in the United States.

GnRH Antagonists – Fertility drugs that, like GnRH agonists, suppress ovulation. GnRH antagonists are effective at immediately preventing LH release. The two brands of GnRH antagonists used in the United States are Antagon and Cetrotide.

Gonadotropins– Fertility drugs that provide the patient with FSH and LH, or FSH alone. Gonadotropins are highly potent fertility drugs and are not usually used unless clomiphene citrate has proven ineffective. Patients receiving gonadotropins (such as Pergonal®, Gonal F, and Profasi) must be monitored by their physicians.

Human Menopausal Gonadotropins (HMGs) – Highly potent fertility drugs that cause the ovaries to mature several eggs during a single menstrual cycle. Brand names of hMGs include Humegon, Pergonal®, and Repronex.

Hysteroscopy – A procedure in which fibroid tumors are removed from the uterus. Fibroid tumors, though noncancerous, can interfere with the ability of a fertilized egg to implant in the uterus, and can cause miscarriage.

In Vitro Fertilization (IVF)– A procedure in which eggs are removed from a woman's body and fertilized. After the embryos have reached the blastocyst stage of development, they are introduced into the woman's uterus. Fertility drugs and hormone treatments are normally used in conjunction with in vitro fertilization.

Infertility– A general term used to describe conditions that interfere with a couple's ability to have a child. Low sperm count, blocked fallopian tubes, hormonal imbalance, and fibroid tumors cause infertility for many couples. Through medical treatments, conditions that cause infertility are often overcome.

Infertility Clinics– Medical facilities that focus on diagnosing and treating couples who have been unsuccessful in their attempts to have children.

Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI)– An infertility treatment in which a single sperm is injected directly into an egg. The resulting embryo is transplanted into the woman's uterus. Intracytoplasmic sperm injection is a helpful treatment for couples dealing with infertility resulting from weak sperm.

Laparoscopy– Any procedure using a laparoscope, a slender tool with an attached camera that enables a physician to see the inside of the body. Infertility specialists perform laparoscopy to view a woman's reproductive organs. Laparoscopy can be used for diagnostic purposes or to perform surgical functions such as removing damaged tissue and releasing fluids from ovarian cysts.

Lutenizing Hormone (LH) – Hormone produced by the pituitary gland that causes a woman's graafian follicles to release eggs. After releasing eggs these follicles become progesterone-releasing "corpora lutea." In men, LH causes testosterone-secreting cells in the testes to develop. Another name for LH is interstitial cell stimulating hormone (ICSH).

Microsurgical Epididymal Sperm Aspiration (MESA)– A technique in sperm aspiration. MESA, though more invasive than percutaneous sperm aspiration (PESA), is considered safer and more effective. During MESA surgery the epididymis is revealed through a short incision in the scrotum. After examining sections of the epididymis for areas where sperm are present the surgeon opens one of the sections and collects healthy sperm.

Oocyte – An immature female gamete, or "egg." The term "oocyte" usually refers to an immature egg, while the term "ovum" refers to a mature egg.

Ovaries – Female sex organs that release mature eggs and produce the hormones estrogen and progesterone.

Ovulation – The release of a mature egg into the fallopian tubes. During ovulation, an ovum will pass from the ovaries, through the fallopian tubes, to the uterus. Ovulation is initiated by follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and lutenizing hormone (LH). Fertilization normally occurs when a woman is ovulating.

Ovulation Induction– Medical treatments designed to encourage ovulation. During ovulation induction treatments women are given fertility drugs that mimic the natural hormones FSH and LH. For some women, ovulation induction is used to restore normal ovulation cycles, while for others it is used to stimulate the release of multiple eggs during ovulation.

Percutaneous Epididymal Sperm Aspiration (PESA)– A procedure in which sperm are removed from the epididymis, a long coiled tube above each of the testes, through a needle. PESA allows a physician to extract a small amount of sperm from a man who, for any number of reasons, is not able to ejaculate enough healthy sperm. A downside to PESA is that it collects a relatively small sample of sperm.

Progesterone – A hormone released by the female reproductive system that helps to initiate ovulation, prepares the lining of the uterus to accept a fertilized egg, and stimulates milk production in the mammary glands.

Reproductive Surgery – Procedures used to treat men and women with physical problems that have interfered with their fertility. Reproductive surgery is used to treat such conditions as obstruction of the fallopian tubes, endometriosis, and uterine fibroids in women, and obstruction of the epididymis and varicocele in men.

Semen – Fluid released by a man when he ejaculates. Semen contains sperm cells and seminal plasma. It is also known as "seminal fluid."

Sperm – Male sex cells, or "gametes." Sperm, medically referred to as spermatozoa, are mobile haploid cells that fertilize eggs. Sperm cells provide the genetic information that determines an embryo's sex.

Sperm Aspiration – Methods used to obtain sperm from men who do not have adequate sperm specimens in their ejaculate. Sperm are extracted surgically, or through a needle, and are used in intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). Four sperm aspiration techniques in use today are microsurgical epididymal sperm aspiration (MESA), percutaneous sperm aspiration (PESA), testicular sperm extraction (TESE), and testicular sperm aspiration (TESA).

Testicular Sperm Aspiration (TESA) – A method of sperm retrieval in which a needle is used to draw a thin piece of sperm-containing tissue directly from the testes. TESA does not retrieve as much sperm as TESE and carries greater risks, as the needle may puncture blood vessels in the testicle.

Testicular Sperm Extraction (TESE)– A sperm aspiration method in which a small section of tissue from one or both of the testicles is removed through one or more short incisions in the scrotum. Sperm are extracted from the tissue by an embryologist and used, through ICSI, to fertilize a woman's eggs. TESE may work for a man who does not have mature sperm in his epididymis.

Sperm Freezing – A service offered to men wishing to store healthy sperm for use in later attempts at fathering children. Sperm are mixed with cryoprotectants, gradually cooled, then frozen and stored.

Sperm Motility– The ability of a sperm cell to "swim." Sperm cells are equipped with long tails that propel them through fluids in a woman's body, and into her fallopian tubes. Sperm motility tests measure a sperm cell's ability to swim.

Sperm Washing– A technique used by physicians to separate sperm cells from seminal plasma. Washed sperm are used to fertilize a woman's eggs. Sperm washing may allow an HIV-positive man to father children with minimal risk to his partner and child.

Surrogate Parent – A woman who carries a pregnancy for another couple. A surrogate mother may receive the embryo from the parent couple or may be artificially inseminated with the male partner's sperm. When the child is born, the surrogate mother relinquishes him or her to the parent couple. Surrogacy can sometimes present legal and ethical issues for the parents and/or the surrogate mother.

Uterus – The hollow muscular structure that carries and protects a growing fetus. The uterus, often referred to as the womb, is connected to the vagina by the cervix.

Urofollitropins – Fertility drugs that match the composition of follicle-stimulating hormone, or "FSH,” a hormone secreted by the pituitary gland. FSH triggers egg maturation and causes estrogen to be released into the bloodstream. Urofollitropins supplement or increase the body's natural FSH. Fertinex and Metrodin® are two commonly prescribed urofollitropins in the United States.

Varicocelectomy – An operation used to remove dilated veins, or "varicocele," from the spermatic cord. Varicocele may cause pain and can play a role in male infertility.

Vasoepididymostomy – A surgical procedure in which an obstruction between a man's vas deferens and epididymis is bypassed. The tubes are severed and then reconnected. Vasoepididymostomy is often effective in treating male infertility.

Zygote – A fertilized egg. A zygote has a complete set of chromosomes and a sex, but has not yet implanted in the uterine cavity.

Zygote Intrafallopian Transfer (ZIFT) – A surgical procedure in which one or more zygotes are surgically placed into a woman's fallopian tubes. Fertility drugs are usually used to stimulate egg production and to prepare the uterine cavity for zygote implantation. Zygotes are introduced into the fallopian tubes through a laparoscope, and travel to the uterus where, if the procedure has been successful, they implant and continue their growth.