Glossary
Infertility treatment is a medical process and medical procedures, as we all know, seem to have language that is unique to the medical profession.
It’s important that couples understand what these terms and phrases mean and are not intimidated or embarrassed by unfamiliar terms and abbreviations.
Here are just a few of the terms you may encounter in your investigations into infertility and in your treatment programme if you become Origin patients. If you come across terms we’ve missed, please email them and we will ensure that are added to the glossary.
Anovulation
Failure of the ovaries to produce an egg.
Anti-sperm antibodies
Antibodies produced by either men or women against sperm. Frequently seen in men who have had vasectomies. May interfere with the fertilising ability of the sperm.
Artificial Insemination
Placing partner’s or donor sperm into the female productive tract using a special catheter.
Asthenozoospermia
Literally means "weak sperm". Refers to semen in which the motility (active movement of the sperm) is less than forty percent.
Assisted Reproductive Technologies
Various methods of assisting reproduction that are accomplished with laboratory assistance.
Azoospermia
The complete absence of sperm in the semen.
Bilateral tubal ligation
A surgical sterilisation procedure in which both fallopian tubes are clamped, clipped or cut to prevent pregnancy.
Blastocyst
An embryo that has grown for approximately 5 days after fertilisation.
Chlamydia
A sexually transmitted bacterial infection that commonly produces damaged fallopian tubes and may also effect male fertility.
Clomiphene citrate (Clomid)
Medication that stimulates ovulation.
Cryopreservation
A laboratory technique in which sperm or embryos are frozen in liquid nitrogen and stored for future use.
Donor Ova
Human eggs donated by young, fertile females to women who are incapable of producing viable eggs.
Donor Sperm
Human sperm donated by young, fertile males to patients who do not have adequate sperm quality and numbers.
Ectopic Pregnancy
A pregnancy that implants outside of the uterus, usually in a fallopian tube.
Ejaculation
The release of semen from the penis
Embryo
A fertilised egg that has begun cell division.
Endometriosis
A painful condition in which the lining of the uterus grows outside the uterus.
Embryo Transfer (ET)
The transfer of embryos into the womb using a specialised catheter.
Fallopian Tubes
A pair of slender ducts where sperm and egg meet in normal conception.
Foetus
The developing human being from the end of the eighth week of pregnancy to birth.
Fibroid
A benign uterine growth that can affect fertility and cause abnormal uterine bleeding.
Follicle
A fluid-filled cyst in the ovary that contains the egg and produces female hormones.
Gamete
A sperm or egg
Hormone
A substance produced by one tissue and conveyed by the bloodstream to another for metabolism and growth.
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT)
Medication to replace estrogen and progesterone hormones in females.
Infertility
The inability to conceive a child after more than 12 months unprotected intercourse for couples under 35.
Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI)
Laboratory procedure that involves the injection by microscopic guidance of a single sperm into a mature egg.
Intrauterine Insemination
A technique in which a small, soft tube is used to place sperm into the uterine cavity.
In Vitro Fertilization
An assisted reproductive technology which involves the process of combining the egg and sperm outside the human body to optimise chances for fertilization, after which the resulting embryo is transferred to the uterus.
Laparoscopy
A surgical procedure usually performed on an outpatient basis, during which a small scope is inserted into the abdomen for visualization of the female reproductive organs.
Oestrogen
A major category of female hormones.
Oocyte Retrieval (OR)
An IVF procedure, performed under sedation, in which mature eggs are removed from the ovary by a needle placed through the vaginal wall.
Ovulation
The release of a mature egg from its follicle in the ovary.
Ovulation induction
The use of hormonal drugs to cause the ovaries to produce eggs.
Ovum
Egg.
Sterilisation
A surgical procedure to prevent pregnancy.
Uterus ( the womb)
The organ within which the fertilised egg develops.
