San Diego Natural Fertility Centers - Glossary of fertility terms

Adhesion: Scar tissue band attached to organ surfaces, capable of connecting, covering or distorting organs, such as fallopian tubes, ovaries, uterus, and bowel.

Amenorrhea: The absence of menstruation.

Androgens: Male sex hormones such as testosterone and DHEAS.

Antibodies: Chemicals made by the body to fight or attack foreign substances entering the body. Normally they prevent infection; however, when they attack the sperm or fetus, they cause Infertility. Sperm antibodies may be made by either the man or the woman.

Antisperm Antibodies (ASA): Antibodies are produced by the immune system to fight off foreign substances, like bacteria. Antisperm antibodies attach themselves to sperm and inhibit movement and their ability to fertilize. Either the man or the woman may produce sperm antibodies

Artificial Insemination: Any of the various techniques whereby sperm are introduced to the female by means other than sexual intercourse.

Assisted hatching: Thinning of the embryo's outer egg shell (zona pellucida) prior to embryo transfer. Indicated for couples with advanced maternal reproductive age, elevated F SH levels, and prior repetitive IVF failures.

Asthenospermia: Decreased number of motile sperm in the ejaculate.

Azoospermia: The complete absence of sperm. It can result from obstruction of the vas deferens (the duct that carries the sperm from the testicles to the urethra) or from failure of the testes to produce sperm. MESA and TESE are two procedures to obtain sperm from azoospermic males.

Autoimmune: An immune reaction against one's own tissue

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Basal Body Temperature Test (BBT): Indirect evidence of ovulation can be obtained with the basal body temperature chart. The temperature can be taken orally with a special thermometer immediately upon awakening and before any activity. This is recorded on a special graph that enables you to visualize the different temperature shifts. The temperature will drop to its lowest point, 1-2 days prior to ovulation, and then rises and remains elevated until a couple of days before impending menstruation. If the individual is pregnant the temperature will remain elevated. This elevation is not considered a fever because it will never exceed 38ºC (100ºF). This test is unfortunately not very reliable in every woman, and is therefore not used universally.

Biphasic: A two-level BBT record, which shows a rise in temperature and is suggestive of ovulation.

Blastocyst: An embryo that has undergone multiple cellular divisions with the formation of a cavity within it. A fertilized egg reaches the blastocyst stage usually 4 to 5 days after fertilization.

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Capacitation: The changes that a sperm goes through to be capable of penetrating the layers covering the egg. It involves the sequentially timed release of a series of enzymes, which allows the sperm to digest a passage through those layers.

Cervical Cultures: The process of obtaining samples (of secretions) from the cervix and culturing them on special media for different types of infectious organisms such as Chlamydia, Gonococcus and Ureaplasma. These sexually transmitted diseases, if present, can cause Infertility by damaging the fallopian tubes or can interfere with implantation of the embryo by infecting the lining of the uterus. They are easily treated with antibiotics.

Cervical Mucus: Cervical mucus is secreted by glandular cells that are present in the cervix. This mucus protects the uterus from invasion by bacteria present in the vagina. It also plays an important role in Infertility. The cervical mucus, in response to the estrogen hormone, becomes thin and elastic at the time of ovulation. This allows the sperm to travel through the cervix and the uterus to reach the egg in the fallopian tube. It also helps the sperm to stay alive in the cervix for a longer period of time. A thick and dense mucus could prevent the passage of sperm through the cervix. The cervical mucus is checked by the Postcoital test.