| Abortus |
Loss of the foetus within the first 20 weeks of pregnancy. |
| Agonist |
A synthetic hormone produced as a copy of a natural hormone. |
| Androgen |
A male sex hormone also found in females at lower levels. Extremely elevated levels of androgen in women can cause hairiness, weight gain and acne. |
| Andrologist |
A specialist in male infertility (a urologist or a gynaecologist). |
| Anovulation |
Absence of ovulation. |
| Amenorrhea |
Absence of menstruation. |
| Amniocentesis |
A prenatal test in which a small amount of amniotic fluid surrounding the foetus is biopsied for testing. |
| Assisted Hatching |
The thinning or rupturing of the membrane coating the embryo. |
| Asthenozoospermia |
Reduced sperm motility. |
| Intrauterine injection |
The injection of previously washed and prepared sperm into the uterus. |
| Azoospermia |
Absence of sperm in the semen. |
| Biochemical Pregnancy |
Early pregnancy loss that occurs shortly after implantation. |
| Biopsy |
Tissue sampling for examination. |
| Chocolate Cysts |
Presence of intrauterine tissue inside the abdomen or ovaries. Also known as endometriosis. |
| Fertilisation |
The fusion of egg and spermatozoid into a single cell. |
| Diminished Ovarian Reserve |
Low number of eggs in women. |
| Ejaculation |
Discharge of semen from the body. |
| Ejaculate |
Semen |
| Embryo |
The name given to the egg after it has been fertilised. |
| Endometrium |
The membrane lining the uterus. |
| Endometrioma |
Cystic formation resulting in the presence of endometrium within the ovaries. |
| Endometriosis |
| Male Factor |
IVF procedure attempted due to male factors. |
| Oestrogen |
Female sex hormone. |
| ET |
Embryo transfer. |
| FSH |
Follicle Stimulating Hormone. A hormone secreted by the pituitary gland, helping with the maturation of follicles in women and spermatogenesis in men. |
| GnRH |
Gonadotropin Releasing Hormone. A hormone secreted by the brain which controls the pituitary gland. |
| HCG |
Human Chorionic Gonadotropin. A hormone secreted by the embryo, used in the diagnosis of pregnancy. |
| Haemophilia |
A bleeding disorder in which the blood does not clot normally. |
| Hyperstimulation |
Overreaction of the ovaries due to the hormones used during the stimulation of the ovaries. |
| Pituitary Gland |
A secretory gland located just below the brain that controls most of the glands. |
| Fallopian Tubes |
Where egg and sperm meet in the female body. |
| Fertilisation |
Fertilisation happens when the sperm enters the egg. 24 hours after that, egg and sperm fuse and cellular division starts to take place in the embryo. |
| Follicle |
Liquid-filled pouch with eggs in it. |
| Frozen Embryo |
The storing of embryos after freezing. |
| Hydrosalpinx |
Expansion of the tubes because of the presence of fluid. |
| HSG |
Uterine X-ray. |
| HSK (Hysteroscopy) |
Examination of the inside of the uterus using special tools to detect problems. |
| ICSI |
Microinjection. A technique in which a single sperm is introduced into the egg using a special needle. |
| IUI |
Intrauterine insemination. The injection of previously washed and prepared sperm into the uterus. |
| IVF |
In vitro fertilisation. |
| Implantation |
The attachment of the embryo to the uterus at the start of pregnancy. |
| Infertile |
Unable to conceive. |
| Incubator |
A special apparatus in which embryos are cultured. |
| Intramural fibroid |
Benign tumours growing on the uterine wall. |
| Gynaecologist |
A physician specialised in gynaecology. |
| Catheter |
A straw-like plastic tube that allows the sperm and embryo to be placed into the uterus. |
| Cleavage |
The series of cell divisions of the embryo. |
| Cordocentesis |
Percutaneous umbilical blood sampling for prenatal diagnosis purposes. |
| Culture Environment |
Fluid allowing the culture of the embryo in the laboratory. |
| Abortion |
Termination of the pregnancy within the first 10 weeks. |
| Laparoscopy (LSK) |
A method that allows the examination of the inside of the abdomen. An optical instrument is used to examine whether the tubes are open or whether there is another problem in the abdomen. |
| Masturbation |
Stimulation of the genitals for sexual pleasure (without sexual intercourse). |
| Menopause |
The ceasing of menstruation. |
| Microinjection |
The injection of a sperm directly into the egg. |
| Fibroid |
Benign tumours in the uterus. |
| Molecular Biology |
A branch of science which investigates the structures within the cells. |
| Morphology |
Determination of the dimensions and the shape of sperm cells. |
| Oligospermia |
Low live sperm count in the semen. |
| Oocyte |
Egg cell |
| OPU |
Egg collection. |
| Ovary |
The female reproductive organ in which the eggs are produced. |
| Ovulatory Factor |
IVF procedure performed due to problems in the woman’s ovaries. |
| Ovulation |
The release of eggs from the ovaries. |
| Oestrogen |
Female sex hormone. |
| PESA |
Percutaneous epididymal sperm aspiration |
| PGD – PGT |
Genetic screening of embryos. |
| PID |
Pelvic Inflammatory Disease |
| Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) |
Presence of multiple small cysts in the ovaries. |
| Polyp |
Growth of tissue inside the uterus or the cervix. |
| Polyspermy |
The fertilisation of an egg with more than one sperm. |
| Progesterone |
The hormone secreted by the corpus luteum. |
| Primary Infertility |
Infertility patients who have never had children. |
| Secondary Infertility |
Infertility patients who have had children before, but who cannot conceive now despite 2 years of unprotected sexual intercourse. |
| Serum |
The fluid remaining after coagulation. |
| Semen |
Fluid produced in the male reproductive organs, containing spermatozoa. |
| Semen Analysis (Spermogram) |
Analysis of sperm count, motility and morphology in the laboratory. |
| Cervix |
Lower end of the uterus. |
| Cycle |
The period from the first day of menstruation until the next menstruation. It lasts about 28 days. |
| Sonohysterography |
Enlarging the cavity of the uterus to identify any polyps or fibroids. |
| Sperm |
Semen |
| Sperm Ducts |
Ducts going from the testis to the end of the penis and allowing the passage of the sperm. |
| Spermatozoid |
Male reproductive cell. |
| Step Down |
Stimulating the ovaries by reducing the dose of the stimulating medication. |
| Step Up |
Stimulating the ovaries by increasing the dose of the stimulating medication. |
| Sterile |
Free of all kinds of microorganism, aseptic. |
| Submucous Fibroid |
Benign tumour bulging into the uterine cavity. |
| Subserosal Fibroids |
Benign tumour projecting outside of the uterus. |
| Teratospermia |
High percentage of morphologically abnormal spermatozoa in semen. |
| Testosterone |
Male reproductive hormone. |
| Testis |
Male reproductive gland that produces sperm. |
| TESA |
Testicular Sperm Aspiration |
| TESE |
Testicular biopsy performed in order to find spermatozoa. |
| Tubal factor |
IVF performed due to problems in the fallopian tubes. |
| IVF |
One of the assisted reproductive technologies that help the embryo to develop outside the womb. |
| Ultrasonography |
Examination of the internal organs using high-frequency sound waves. |
| USG |
Examination using ultrasonography. |
| Urologist |
Physician who specialises in the disorders of the urinary system and male sexual diseases. |
| Uterus |
Womb |
| Varicocele |
Enlargement of the veins in a man’s scrotum. |
| Viability |
Percentage of live sperm in the semen. |
| Viscosity |
| XX |
Female chromosomes |
| XY |
Male chromosomes |
| Ovarian Stimulation |
Stimulation of the ovaries of a woman in order to harvest more than one egg. |
| Zygote |
An embryo at an early stage. |
