Glossary of Terms

Assisted zonal hatching (AZH) – thinning or making a small hole in the protective layer that surrounds the embryo. Before an embryo implants into the uterus, it must hatch from the protective layer. Making a small hole in the protective layer using micromanipulation may make it easier for hatching to occur.  Click to view video

Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) – any fertility treatment in which eggs, sperm or both are handled; procedures generally involve surgically removing eggs from a woman's ovaries, combining them with sperm in the laboratory, and returning them to the woman's body or donating them to another woman.

Basal Body Temperature (BBT) – the body temperature of a person immediately upon awakening before any activity; can be taken orally or rectally and recorded daily on a graph. A jump in temperature (by approximately 0.5°F) may be evidence of ovulation; a drop may be evidence of the onset of menses or a miscarriage. Click to view video

Beta hCG test (BhCG) - a blood test used to detect very early pregnancies. Click to view video

Chemical pregnancy - a positive pregnancy blood test, but the pregnancy never develops to the point where it can be seen on ultrasound. Implantation did occur, but the embryo failed to develop a good connection to the wall of the uterus. Click to view video

Clomid - the brand name of the fertility drug Clomiphene Citrate; used to stimulate production of follicle stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone.  Click to view video

Cryopreservation - a procedure used to preserve and store embryos or sperm by deep freezing; embryos or sperm can be thawed at a later date and used in infertility treatments.

Egg retrieval – a procedure to remove eggs from the ovaries just before ovulation. A thin needle is passed through the vaginal wall up to the ovaries, all accomplished with the guidance of transvaginal ultrasound. As the doctor watches the procedure on the screen of the ultrasound machine, the needle punctures the follicle and, with gentle suction, carefully removes the egg along with the follicular fluid. The eggs are placed in a sterile container and are examined by a cell biologist or embryologist. If they are judged to be normal in shape and development, they are ready for fertilization.

Embryo – a developing baby in the early stages of fetal growth, from conception to the eighth week of pregnancy; in IVF treatments, a fertilized egg between one and five days old

Embryo transfer – placing an embryo (fertilized egg) into the uterus for implantation.

Embryologist – a professional trained in advanced laboratory techniques who prepares and provides the necessary conditions for the fertilization of eggs, as well as facilitates the growth, development, maturation, and preservation of embryos.

Frozen embryo – an embryo that has been preserved and stored by deep freezing that can be thawed at a later date and used in infertility treatments

Follicle – a fluid-filled sac in the ovary that contains a ripening egg.

Follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) – a hormone produced by the pituitary gland which stimulates the ovary to ripen a follicle for ovulation

Gamete intrafallopian transfer (GIFT) – a surgical procedure in which a sperm-egg mixture is transferred into the fallopian tubes where natural fertilization may occur

Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG) – a hormone found in women's blood and urine throughout pregnancy. The hCG becomes detectable in blood shortly after the time the pregnancy implants in the uterus (roughly three weeks into a four-week menstrual cycle), and in urine around the time of the first day of a missed menstrual period. Home pregnancy tests work by detecting hCG in the urine.

Hysteroscopy – a surgical procedure in which a telescope-like device is inserted through the cervix to view the inside of the uterus; sometimes performed in conjunction with a laparoscopy.

Hysterosalpingogram – an x-ray procedure used to determine whether the fallopian tubes are open and capable of functioning properly; can also reveal the configuration of the uterus, irregularities, and the presence of fibroids.

Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) – a laboratory procedure in which a single sperm is directly inserted into an individual egg

Intrauterine insemination (IUI) – the introduction of specially prepared sperm directly into the uterus through the cervix.

In vitro fertilization (IVF) - an infertility treatment procedure in which one or more eggs, each removed from a ripe follicle, is fertilized by sperm outside the human body before being placed in a woman's uterus to implant and result in pregnancy.

Laparoscopy – a surgical procedure in which a telescope-like device is inserted through a small incision near the navel to view the pelvic cavity, the ovaries, fallopian tubes, and uterus.

Luteinizing hormone (LH) – a hormone that causes the ovary to release a mature egg (ovulation); stimulates testosterone production in males

Luteal Phase (LP) – the days of a menstrual cycle following ovulation and ending with menses; usually lasts between 12 and 14 days

Oligospermia – a condition in which the number of sperm in a semen sample is abnormally low

Oocyte – the egg cell produced in the ovaries; also called the ovum or gamete

Oocyte retrieval – a surgical procedure, usually under sedation, to collect the eggs contained within the ovarian follicles

Ovarian failure – the failure of the ovary to respond to FSH stimulation from the pituitary because of damage to or aging of the ovary

Ovulatory dysfunction – a problem existing in the ovaries where either something is abnormal in the process of developing the follicle or the egg is not released from the follicle

Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome (OHSS) – a possible side effect of medically induced ovulation, characterized by swollen, painful ovaries and, in some cases, the accumulation of fluid in the abdomen and chest

Ovulation induction – medication to stimulate egg development and release

Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD) – genetic testing of embryos in IVF to help avoid certain genetic birth defects, such as cystic fibrosis, Down syndrome, Duchenne muscular dystrophy, hemophilia A, Tay Sachs disease and Turner syndrome

Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) – a condition found in women who don't ovulate, characterized by excessive production of androgens (male sex hormones) and the presence of cysts in the ovaries; symptoms often include weight gain, acne, excessive hair growth and infertility

Postcoital test (PCT) – microscopic study of samples of vaginal and cervical secretions taken several hours after sexual relations and examined for live, moving sperm

Premature ovarian failure (POF) – the cessation of menstruation associated with high levels of gonadotropins and low levels of estrogen before age 40

Semen analysis – a microscopic examination of freshly ejaculated semen to evaluate the number of sperm (count), the percentage of moving sperm (motility), and the size and shape of the sperm (morphology)

Sperm count – the number of sperm in ejaculate; also called sperm concentration or sperm density and given as the number of sperm per milliliter

Sperm wash – a technique for separating sperm from seminal fluid

Testicular Sperm Aspiration (TESA) – a procedure in which sperm are obtained directly from the testicle by either aspiration or surgical incision of the testicular tissue

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