10 Fertility Terms to Know

Between 10 to 15 percent of couples struggle with infertility, which may be emotionally difficult and complex—especially when it comes to the language surrounding the analysis and treatment of fertility issues.

10 fertility terms you should know when trying to conceive

Here are 10 fertility terms that can help keep the baby-making process as stress-free as possible for anyone having trouble conceiving:

1. Motility
   Sperm motility describes the sperm’s ability to move properly through the female reproductive tract to reach the egg. If a male partner is diagnosed with low motility, their sperm will have a difficult time reaching the females’ egg, which may require IVF/ ICSi procedure.
2. Hysteroscopy
   Hysteroscopy is a medical procedure that allows your doctor to look inside your uterus and is most commonly used to diagnose and treat causes of uterine infertility. During the procedure, your doctor will insert a thin, lighted tube (hysteroscope) into your vagina to examine the cervix and inside of the uterus. If the results are abnormal, a gestational surrogate may be required.
3. POF
   Premature ovarian failure is a loss of normal ovary function before age 40. It is often referred to as early menopause and can be treated with estrogen therapy and egg donation.
4. Salpingitis
   Salpingitis is the inflammation of the fallopian tubes. This condition can lead to deformities or scarring, which can make it difficult for the egg and sperm to meet. IVF is often required to conceive.
5. AMH (Anti-Müllerian hormone)
   AMH is a substance produced by ovarian follicles and is commonly used to estimate the ovarian reserve (resting follicle count) in women. Testing the AMH levels in a woman’s blood helps assess her fertility timeline as well as predicting egg freezing and IVF outcomes.
6. PGT (Preimplantation genetic testing)
   Preimplantation genetic testing is a technique used to identify genetic defects in embryos created through in vitro fertilization before pregnancy.
7. Gestational surrogate
   A gestational surrogate is a woman who carries and delivers a baby for another person or couple. In gestational surrogacy, baby is not genetically related to the surrogate. The egg comes from the intended mother (or an egg donor) and the sperm comes from the intended father (or sperm donor). The egg is typically fertilized in a laboratory and later transferred to the surrogate.
8. IVF
   In vitro fertilization is the process of combining an egg and sperm outside the body, in vitro. The process involves monitoring and stimulating a woman’s ovulatory process through medication and removing an ovum/ova (egg) from the ovaries and letting sperm fertilize them in a laboratory setting. The fertilized eggs are then monitored for 3-5 days before the most viable embryo is transferred into the woman’s uterus.
9. Mosaic Embryo
   A mosaic embryo is a fertilized egg that contains both normal and abnormal cells. While mosaic embryos have the potential to become a healthy baby, they are also more likely to result in failed implantation or miscarriage than a normal embryo.
10. Intended Parents
    Intended parents are people who have taken steps to use a surrogate mother, an egg from a donor, with the intention that they will become the baby’s parents once they are born. Intended parents can include infertile couples, anyone for whom carrying a child would be unreasonable, same-sex couples or single parents.

If you’ve been struggling with fertility treatments that just aren’t working, the skilled endocrinologists at CACRM want to help you build the family you’ve been dreaming of. To learn more about fertility treatments in Encinitas, please call 760-274-2000.