If you come across a term you are unfamiliar with and it
is not included in the glossary below, please email it to us at [email protected]
and we will add it to this glossary.
| A condition in which no semen is expelled
from the penis during sexual arousal |
| An eating disorder associated with a distorted
body image that is caused by a mental disorder. Inadequate calorie
intake results in severe weight loss. |
| Procedures in which pregnancy is attempted
through gamete manipulation outside of the body, such as in vitro
fertilization (IVF) or gamete intrafallopian transfer (GIFT) |
| A cause of male infertility in which no
sperm are present in the semen. |
| The man whose sperm fertilized the ovum
from which a child developed and who is therefore genetically related
to that child. |
| The woman from whose ovum a child developed
and who is therefore genetically related to that child. |
| Bulimia is an illness characterized by
uncontrolled episodes of overeating usually followed by self-induced
vomiting. |
| The lower, narrow end, or neck, of the
uterus, which opens into the vagina. |
| A sexually transmitted infection caused
by the microorganism chlamydia trachomatis, which if left untreated
in a woman may cause pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), pelvic adhesions,
and tubal blockage. |
| A special freezing technique used to preserve
embryos and sperm for future use in an ART procedure. |
| A cause of male infertility in which one
or both testes have not descended into the scrotum after the first
year of life. |
| A procedure in which the cervix is gradually
widened and the lining of the uterus is gently removed by scraping
or suction. |
| A disease is defined as any deviation from
or interruption of the normal structure or function of any part, organ,
or system, or combination thereof, of the body that is manifested
by a characteristic set of symptoms or signs. Dorland's Medical Dictionary
1988: 481. |
| A condition in women in which intercourse
is uncomfortable or painful due to a medical problem or emotional
issues. |
| A pregnancy in which the fertilized ovum
has implanted in a location other than inside the uterus, usually
in a fallopian tube. |
| The fertilized ovum after it has begun
the process of cell division. |
| A condition in which tissue resembling
the lining of the inside of a woman’s uterus is found elsewhere
in the body (usually in the pelvis). |
| The tissue lining the inside of a woman’s
uterus, in which a fertilized egg implants at conception. |
| A structure that covers part of each testis
and is the storage place for mature sperm cells. |
| A hormone that is produced in a woman’s
ovaries and plays a role in regulating ovulation and endometrial development. |
| The two narrow, hollow structures located
on either side of a woman’s uterus in the lower abdomen, extending
to an ovary on each side. |
| In medical terms, an embryo becomes a fetus
at about the end of the seventh week of pregnancy, after major structures
(head, torso, limbs, etc.) have formed. |
| A structure within the ovary containing
the egg that is extruded at ovulation. |
| A variation of ART in which unfertilized
eggs and sperm are placed together in the woman’s fallopian tubes,
with fertilization taking place in the tube instead of a laboratory
dish. |
| The sex cells—oocytes (eggs) and spermatozoa. |
| Mother In a surrogacy arrangement, the
woman who carries a pregnancy to term and delivers a baby, which may
or may not be genetically related to her. |
| A sexually transmitted infection caused
by the microorganism Neisseria gonorrhea, which if left untreated
in a woman may cause pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), pelvic adhesions,
and tubal blockage. |
| A structure located at the base of the
brain that secretes hormones that regulate the pituitary gland which
in turn regulates various bodily functions, including ovulation in
women and sperm production in men. |
| Light bleeding or spotting that sometimes
occurs when a fertilized egg (embryo) implants in the uterus. |
| A condition in which a man cannot achieve
or sustain an erection long enough to ejaculate inside a woman’s
vagina. |
| A form of assisted reproduction in which
an egg and sperm are combined in a laboratory dish and the resulting
embryo (sometimes called a preembryo) is subsequently transferred
into a woman’s fallopian tube. |
| A condition in which a pregnant woman’s
cervix begins to dilate too soon, causing miscarriage. |
| The absence of conception after at least
one year of regular unprotected intercourse. |
| A technique in which a single sperm cell
is injected through a microsurgical needle directly into the cytoplasm
of an egg to facilitate fertilization. |
| A technique in which sperm are introduced
directly into a woman’s cervix or uterus to produce pregnancy,
with or without ovarian stimulation to produce multiple ova. |
| The second half of the menstrual cycle,
beginning at ovulation (day 14 in an average 28-day cycle) and ending
with menstruation |
| Spontaneous loss of a pregnancy before
twenty weeks of gestation. |
| In a semen analysis, the degree to which
sperm cells are able to spontaneously propel themselves. |
| A cause of male infertility in which fewer
than forty million sperm are present in the semen from one ejaculation. |
| An ovum; the egg before it is released
at ovulation. |
| The female sex cells, or eggs, which are
produced in the ovaries. |
| Two small organs on either side of a woman’s
lower pelvis which produce ova, or eggs, and hormones. |
| A procedure in which medication is used
to stimulate a woman’s ovaries to produce multiple mature follicles
and ova. |
| Inflammation of the female upper reproductive
tract (uterus, tubes, and ovaries) usually resulting from infection
with chlamydia and/or gonorrhea. |
| The male reproductive organ, through which
semen exits during ejaculation. |
| An obstetrician/gynecologist specializing
in the care of pregnant women and their babies during pregnancy. |
| A gland located at the base of the brain
that is stimluated by hormones released from the hypothalamus to secrete
hormones that regulate various bodily functions, including ovulation
in women and sperm production in men. |
| The thick pad of tissue inside a pregnant
woman’s uterus that provides nourishment to and disposes of waste
from the growing fetus. |
| A condition in which an excess number of
multiple small cysts form on both ovaries. Women with this condition
don't ovulate on a regular basis. |
| A test used to evaluate the interaction
between a man’s sperm and a woman’s cervical mucus. |
| A condition in which ejaculation occurs
before the penis enters a woman’s vagina. |
| A condition in which a woman's ovaries
stop producing estrogen and cease ovulation before the age of 40. |
| Infertility in a woman who has never had
a pregnancy. |
| A hormone that is produced in a woman's
ovaries and that stimulates the endometrium to thicken in preparation
for possible pregnancy during the latter part of the menstrual cycle
(luteal phase). |
| A gland that is located just below a man's
bladder and secretes fluid that helps sperm pass through the urethra. |
| An obstetrician/gynecologist who specializes
in diagnosing and treating infertility. |
| A saclike pouch containing the testes at
the base of the penis. |
| Infertility in a woman who has had one
or more pregnancies. |
| A small gland that is located just behind
the bladder in the male and stores sperm prior to ejaculation. |
| An infection that is spread by sexual contact.
Also called a sexually transmitted disease (STD). |
| The male sex cells (spermatozoa), which
are produced in the testes. |
| An assessment of the number of sperm present
in each milliliter of semen. |
| A test examining the ability of sperm to
penetrate and fertilize a modified hamster egg. |
| A procedure used to remove components other
than sperm from a semen sample prior to being used for intrauterine
insemination. |
| Two small organs that are located at the
base of the male's penis and in which sperm are produced. |
| A hormone that is produced by a man's testes
and helps to maintain the production of sperm. |
| A gland located at the base of the neck,
which secretes hormones influencing metabolism. |
| A type of female sterilization in which
the fallopian tubes are cut, clipped, or tied in order to prevent
pregnancy. |
| A procedure in which sound waves are used
to create an image of the internal structures and organs. |
| Infertility for which the cause cannot
be determined with currently available diagnostic techniques. |
| A narrow, tube like structure through which
urine passes on its way from the bladder to the outside of the body
in both sexes. In males, it is also a passageway for sperm. |
|
Abnormal, benign (noncancerous) growths of muscle within the wall
of a woman’s uterus.
|
| Abnormal, benign (noncancerous) growths
attached to a short stalk that protrudes from the inner surface of
a woman's uterus. |
| The hollow, muscular organ in a woman's
lower abdomen, in which a developing fetus grows during pregnancy. |
| The elastic, muscular passageway leading
from the cervix to the outside of a woman's body. |
| A cause of male infertility in which varicose
veins are present in the blood vessels above the testes. |
| The long, narrow tube through which sperm
pass on their way from the testes to the seminal vesicles. |
| A procedure for male sterilization, in
which a small segment of each vas deferens is surgically removed to
prevent sperm from entering the ejaculate. |
| The outer protein coat (shell) of an ovum,
which must be penetrated by a sperm cell for fertilization to take
place. |
