Adhesions
Fibrous-like strands of scar tissue which may develop inside the pelvis, abdomen or uterus after previous surgery – they may cause an embryo to fail to implant

Amenorrhoea
Absence of menstruation

ART (Assisted Reproductive Techniques)
Any form of medical intervention to assist conception

Biochemical Pregnancy
When the blood test shows that implantation and continued embryo development have started, but the pregnancy does not develop further – this is not a miscarriage and a relatively normal menstrual period follows

Chromosomes
The genetic material present in every cell, passed from parent to child – each egg cell and each sperm cell has 23 chromosomes and when they combine to form an embryo the total number becomes 23 pairs

Cryopreservation
Preserving embryos by freezing and storing for use in subsequent treatments where they are thawed and transferred to the uterus – frozen embryos stay healthy for at least the remainder of the woman’s reproductive life

Curettage (Curette)
Surgical removal of the contents of the uterus

Ectopic Pregnancy
When the pregnancy develops outside the uterus, almost always in the fallopian tube or tubal remnant – this must be removed by laparoscopic surgery, sometimes preserving the tube and sometimes removing it; alternatively, it can be treated using a drug called Methotrexate

Embryo
An egg that has fertilised and undergone one or more cell divisions taking it to the 2 cell, 4 cell or 6 cell stage

ET (Embryo Transfer)
The transfer of an embryo to the woman’s uterus

Fallopian Tubes
The tubes that the egg travels through from the ovary to the uterus – fertilisation normally occurs here

Fertilisation
When a sperm cell and an egg cell fuse to form an embryo

Fibroids
Non-cancerous growths inside the uterus – they can sometimes interfere with a growing embryo because they occupy the space the embryo needs

Follicle
A fluid-filled area in the ovary which contains the microscopic egg that grows about 2mm per day

Gamete
A germ cell from which all others start, so gamete refers to the egg in a woman and the sperm in a man – normal human gametes have 23 chromosomes and a fertilised egg has 46
chromosomes (23 from the woman and 23 from the man)

Gonadotrophins (Puregon / Gonal-F)
A highly purified synthetic follicle stimulating hormone that is given daily by injection to increase the number of follicles produced so more eggs can be collected

Hysteroscopy
A procedure where a telescope-like instrument (a hysteroscope) is used to examine the inside of the uterus (inserted through the opening at the neck of the uterus)

ICSI (Intra-Cytoplasmic Sperm Injection)
A method of sperm micro-injection involving the injection of a single sperm into the egg

Implantation
The time at which the fertilised egg embeds in the lining of the uterus

Intrauterine Device
A contraceptive device that is inserted into the uterus to prevent pregnancy

IUI (Intrauterine Insemination)
Intrauterine Insemination of partner’s sperm

IVF (In-Vitro Fertilisation)
When fertilisation of the egg by the sperm takes place literally in glass (in vitro) outside the body, in our laboratory

LH (Luteinising Hormone)
Produced by the pituitary gland in women and helps stimulate ovulation

Lucrin / Synarel
A synthetic hormone which initially stimulates and then suppresses the release of gonadotrophins from the pituitary gland – its main advantage is it prevents ovulation occuring before it is expected

Luteal Phase
The second part of a woman’s monthly cycle (the first part ends with ovulation or egg retrieval) that prepares the uterus for implantation – in the natural cycle it lasts for 11 to 17 days with an average of 14 days and it ends with menstruation. Luteal phase support is given with progesterone pessaries / crinone gel or spaced hCG injections to prevent menstruation starting less than 11 days from egg collection as it may do in stimulated cycles – it is not
usually required in Clomiphene / FSH treatment, but is always given in Lucrin / FSH treatment

Oligomenorrhoea
Infrequent menstruation

Oocyte
The female reproductive cell, or the egg

OPU (Oocyte Pick Up)
Egg retrieval

Pituitary Hormones
The pituitary gland is situated at the base of the brain and part of its role is to produce hormones necessary for a follicle to develop and ovulation to occur

Polyps
A general term to describe a mushroom-shaped mass of tissue – polyps in the uterus are benign, but may interfere with implantation or growth of the foetus

Polyspermy
When more than one sperm has penetrated and fertilised the egg so there is an embryo with an abnormal number of chromosomes – such embryos are discarded because they have no potential to develop into normal babies

Progesterone Pessaries
Used following embryo transfer to delay a menstrual period and prevent the luteal phase in a stimulated cycle being too short

Stimulation
A drug treatment to stimulate an optimal number of follicles

Trigger Injection
The hCG / Ovidrel / Pregnyl injection assists timing of ovulation

Vas Deferens
The tubes that carry sperm from the testicles