Decoding the Fertility Language

The fertility journey can be confusing and emotional. Through this journey, you might be talking to friends, family, or doctors and to add to the confusion you might hear also sorts of acronyms being thrown around. You might start seeing new lingo and it may sound like a foreign language!

This can be especially true if you join online support groups or chat rooms. Those online forums, and specialists are not speaking gibberish but fertility related acronyms.

So, what do all those fertility acronyms mean? We have pulled a list together to help you decode the fertility language. Here is our A-Z ultimate list of commonly used infertility acronyms and abbreviations:

A

• ACA: Anti-cardiolipin Antibody
• ACTH: Adrenal Carticotropic Hormone
• AF: Aunt Flo, After Flo, Period, or Menstrual Cycle
• AH: Assisted Hatching
• AI: Artificial/Assisted Insemination
• ANA: Anti-nuclear Antibodies
• APA: Anti-phospholipid Antibodies
• APTT: Activated Partial Thrombo Time
• ART: Assisted Reproductive Technology
• ASA: Anti-sperm Antibody
• ASRM: American Society of Reproductive Medicine

B

• BA: Baby Aspirin
• BBT: Basal Body Temperature
• BCP: Birth Control Pills
• BD: Baby Dance (sex)
• Beta: HCG pregnancy test
• BFN: Big Fat Negative
• BFP: Big Fat Positive
• B/W, b/w: Bloodwork

C

• CAH: Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia
• CASA: Computer-assisted Semen Analysis
• CB: Cycle Buddy
• CBAVD: Congenital Bilateral Absence of Vas Deferens
• CCCT, CCT: Clomiphene Citrate Challenge Test (Clomid Challenge Test)
• CD: Cycle Day
• CF: Cystic Fibrosis
• CM: Cervical Mucus
• CMV: Cytomegalovirus
• CNM: Certified Nurse Midwife
• COH: Controlled Ovarian Hyperstimulation
• CP: Cervical Position
• CPFM: ClearPlan Fertility Monitor (Brand Name)
• CVS: Chorionic Villae Sampling

D

• D&C: Dilation & Curettage
• D&E: Dilation & Evacuation
• DE: Donor Eggs
• DES: Diethylstillbestrol
• DH: Dear Husband
• DHEAS: Dihydroepiandrosterone
• DI: Donor Husband
• DIPI: Direct Intra-peritoneal Insemination
• DOR: Diminished Ovarian Reserve
• DPO: Days Post-Ovulation
• DPR: Days Post-Retrieval
• DPT: Days Post-Transfer
• DP3DT: Days Post 3-Day Transfer
• DP5DT: Days Post 5-Day Transfer
• DW: Dear Wife
• Dx: Diagnosis

E

• E2: Estradiol
• EB, EMB: Endometrial Biopsy
• ENDO: Endometriosis
• EPT: Early Pregnancy Test
• ER: Egg Retrieval
• ET: Egg Transfer
• ETA: Embryo Toxicity Assay
• ETF: Embryo Toxicity Factor

F

• FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions
• FBG: Fasting Blood Glucose
• FI: Fasting Insulin
• FF: Fertility Friend
• FHR: Fetal Heart Rate
• FP: Follicular Phase
• FM: Fertility Mucus or Fertility Monitor
• FRED: Fertility Response Early Detection (Brand Name)
• Frostie: Frozen Embryo
• FSH: Follicle-Stimulating Hormone
• FTTA: Fertile Thoughts to All

G

• GD:Gestational Diabetes
• GI: Gastrointestinal
• GIFT: Gamete Intrafallopian Transfer
• GnRH: Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone
• GP: General Practitioner
• GTT: Glucose Tolerance Test

H

• HCG, hcg: Human Chorionic Gonadotropin
• HMG, hMG: Human Menopausal Gonadotropin
• HCP: Health Care Practitioner
• HEPA: Hampster Egg Penetration Assay
• HPT: Home Pregnancy Test
• HRT: Hormone Replacement Therapy
• HSC: Hysteroscopy
• HSG: Hysterosalpingogram
• HX: History

I

• IBT: Immunobead Binding Test
• ICI: Intra-cervical Insemination
• ICSI: Intra-cytoplamic Sperm Injection
• IF: Infertility
• IGTT: Insulin and Glucose Tolerance Test
• IM: Intramuscular injections
• INCIID: International Council on Infertility Information Dissemination
• IOR: Immature Oocyte Retrieval
• IR: Insulin Resistant
• ITI: Intra-tubal Insemination
• IUGR: Intra-uterine Growth Retardation
• IUI: Intra-uterine Insemination
• IVC: Intra-vaginal Culture
• IVF/ET: In Vitro Fertilization and Embryo Transfer
• IVF: In Vitro Fertilization
• IVIg: Intravenous Immunoglobulin

L

• LAD: Leukocyte Antibody Detection Assay
• LAP: Laparoscopy
• LH: Luteinizing Hormone
• LIT: Leukocyte Immunization Therapy
• LMP: Last Menstrual Period (start date)
• LOL: Laughing Out Loud
• LP: Luteal-Phase:
• LPD: Luteal-Phase Defect
• LSP: Low Sperm Count
• LUF, LUFS: Luteinized Unruptured Follicle Syndrome

M

• MAI: Miscarriage after Infertility
• MC, m/c, misc.: Miscarriage
• MENTS: Subject Matter May Be Difficult to Read
• MESA: Microsurgical Epidiymal Sperm Aspiration
• MF: Male Factor
• MMR: Measles-Mumps-Rubella Vaccine
• MRI: Magnetic Resonance Imaging

N

• NK: Natural Killer Cells
• NORIF: Non-stimulated Oocyte Retrieval In (office) Fertilization
• NP: Nurse Practitioner
• NSA: Non-Surgical Sperm Aspiration

O

• O, OV: Ovulation
• OB: Obstetrician
• OB/GYN: Obstetrician/Gynecologist
• OC: Oral Contraceptives
• OD: Ovum Donor, Ovulatory Dysfunction
• OHSS: Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome
• OPK: Ovulation Predictor Kit
• OPT: Ovulation Predictor Test
• OTC: Over the Counter

P

• P4. Prog: Progesterone
• PA: Physician’s Assistant
• PAI-1: Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor-1
• PAF, PANFERT: Pregnancy After Infertility
• PCO: Polycistic Ovaries
• PCOD: Polycistic Ovarian Disease
• PCOS: Polycistic Ovarian Syndrome
• PCP: Primary Care Physician
• PCT: Post Coital Test
• PESA: Percutaneous Epididymal Sperm Aspiration
• PG: Pregnant
• PGD: Pre-implantation Genetic Diagnosis
• PI: Primary Infertility
• PID: Pelvic Inflamatory Disease
• PIO: Progesterone In Oil
• PLI: Paternal Leukocyte Immunization
• PMS: Pre-menstrual Syndrome
• PMN: Perinatal Mortality
• POAS: Pee On A Stick
• POC: Products of Conception
• POF: Premature Ovarian Failure
• PROM: Premature Rupture of Membranes
• PTSD: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
• PZD: Partial Zona Dissection

R

• RE: Reproductive Endocrinologist
• R-hFSH: Recombinant Human Follicle Stimulating Hormone
• RI: Reproductive Immunologist
• RIP: Reproductive Immunophynotype
• ROS: Reactive Oxygen Species
• RPL: Recurrent Pregnancy Loss
• RSM: Recurrent Spontaneous Abortion
• RX: Prescription

S

• SA: Semen Analysis
• SART: Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology
• S/B, s/b: Stillbirth
• SCORIF: Stimulated Cycle Oocyte Retrieval
• SHG, SonoHSG: Sonohysterogram
• SI: Secondary Infertility
• SLE: Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
• SPA: Sperm Penetration Assay
• SPALS: Subsequent Pregnancy After a Loss Support
• S/S: Signs/Symptoms
• STD: Sexually Transmitted Disease
• SubQ: Subcutaneous Injection
• SUZI: Sub-zonal Insertion

T

• T1: Type 1 Diabetic – Juvenile Diabetes
• T2: Type 2 Diabetic – Insulin Resistant, Adult Onset
• T4: Thyroxine
• TEBG: Testosterone-Estradiol Binding Globulin
• TDI: Therapeutic Donor Insemination
• TESA: Testicular Sperm Aspiration
• TDI: Therapeutic Sperm Extraction
• TET: Tubal Embryo Transfer
• TL: Tubal Ligation
• TORCH: Toxoplasmosis, Other, Rubella, Cytomegalovirus & Herpes Test
• TR: Tubal Reversal
• TRH: Thyroid Releasing Hormone
• TSH: Thyroid Stimulating Hormone
• TTC: Trying To Conceive
• TTCAR: Trying to Conceive After Reversal
• TX: Treatment
• TZD: Thiazolidinediones

V

• V: Vasectomy
• VR: Vasectomy Reversal

W

• WBC: White Blood Count
• WHR: Waist to Hip Ratio
• WNL: Within Normal Limits

Z

• ZIFT:  Zygote Intra-fallopian Transfer

Let us know if we missed any!