Lost in Acronym Land: A Fertility Journey Deciphered

Unlock the secret language of the fertility and infertility world with a comprehensive guide. Whether you're trying to conceive, undergoing fertility treatments, or supporting someone on their journey, this blog will demystify the world of abbreviations and acronyms used in the fertility community and help you navigate the confusing terminology, providing clear explanations and insights to empower you on your path to parenthood.

To navigate the fertility acronyms efficiently, simply click on the letter or number you're interested in, and the corresponding acronym list will expand for easy access.

2

2WW or TWW: Two-Week Wait. The time between ovulation and your expected period. Or more commonly known as the longest two weeks of your life!

A - B

ACA: Anti-cardiolipin Antibody

ACTH: Adrenal Carticotropic Hormone

AF: Aunt Flo, After Flo, Period, or Menstrual Cycle. Slang for your monthly period.

AH: Assisted Hatching. A technique that helps to improve your chances of conception when performed with IVF.

AI: Artificial insemination. A broad term for fertility-treatment techniques is where sperm is placed in the reproductive tract without sexual intercourse.

ANA: Anti-nuclear Antibodies

APA: Anti-phospholipid Antibodies

APTT: Activated Partial Thrombo Time

ART: Assisted reproductive technology. A broad term that covers different types of fertility treatments. IVF and ICSI are types of ART.

ASA: Anti-sperm Antibody

ASRM: American Society of Reproductive Medicine

B/W: Bloodwork. Blood tests to measure hormone levels—a common part of fertility treatment.

BA: Baby Aspirin

BBT: Basal body temperature. At-rest temperature, typically taken first thing in the morning. Because ovulation causes your BBT to rise, it can be used to help track your cycle.

BCP: Birth Control Pills

BD: Baby dance. Having sex on your most fertile days in hopes of getting pregnant.

Beta: A pregnancy test that measures hCG (pregnancy hormones) in the blood. This is performed by a doctor, nurse or phlebotomist and is sometimes also called a quantitative test because it doesn’t just detect the presence of hCG but how much.

BFN: Big fat negative. A pregnancy test with a negative result conveys disappointment.

BFP: Big fat positive. A pregnancy test with a positive result.

BR: Bed Rest. This term refers to when your doctor tells you to limit your activity due to the strain on the pregnancy.

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. The day number of your cycle. For example, CD1 is the first day of your cycle (the day you start your period).

CF: Cystic Fibrosis

CM: Cervical mucus. The discharge you can monitor to help track when you’re going to ovulate.

CMV: Cytomegalovirus

CNM: Certified Nurse Midwife

COH: Controlled Ovarian Hyperstimulation

CP: Cervical Position

CPFM: ClearPlan Fertility Monitor

CVS: Chorionic Villae Sampling

D - E

D&C: Dilation & Curettage

D&E: Dilation & Evacuation

DE: Donor Eggs. This term refers to the eggs retrieved from an egg donor.

DES: Diethylstillbestrol

DH: Dear Husband

DHEAS: Dihydroepiandrosterone

DI: Donor Husband

DIPI: Direct Intra-peritoneal Insemination

DOR: Diminished Ovarian Reserve

DP3DT: Days Post 3-Day Transfer

DP5DT: Days Post 5-Day Transfer

DPO: Days Post or Past Ovulation. The number of days since ovulation. For example, if you ovulate on a Monday, the Tuesday will be 1DPO.

DPR or PR: Days Post or Past Retrieval or Post Retrieval. The method used to count the days post the retrieval of the eggs.

DPT: Days Post or Past Transfer. The number of days since an embryo transfer in IVF treatment.

DW: Dear Wife

DX: Diagnosis. Medical diagnosis.

E2: Estradiol

EB, EMB: Endometrial Biopsy

EDD: Estimated Due Date. This is, well, your estimated due date! Emphasis on “estimated”.

ENDO: Endometriosis. A condition where endometrial tissue builds up outside the uterus, which can lead to irritation, scarring, severe pain, and fertility problems.

EPT: Early Pregnancy Test. An at-home test taken before the end of the two-week wait.

ER: Egg Retrieval. A surgical procedure to remove eggs for either freezing or fertilization.

ET: Embryo transfer. The transfer of one or more embryos (eggs that were fertilized via IVF) into a uterus. These embryos can be “fresh” (transferred a few days after the egg retrieval) or frozen (preserved by freezing).

ETA: Embryo Toxicity Assay

ETF: Embryo Toxicity Factor

EWCM or EW: Egg-White Cervical Mucus. Clear, wet, and stretchy cervical mucus (think: the texture of egg whites), which signals that ovulation is coming soon and it’s a good time to get it on if you’re trying to conceive via intercourse.

F - G

FBG: Fasting Blood Glucose

FET: Fresh or Frozen Embryo Transfer. A step within in vitro fertilization, embryo transfer is a process where a fertility specialist transfers an unfrozen or frozen fertilized embryo into a uterus.

FF: Fertility Friend

FHR: Fetal Heart Rate

FI: Fasting Insulin

FM: Fertility Mucus or Fertility Monitor

FP: Follicular Phase

FRED: Fertility Response Early Detection (Brand Name)

Frostie: Frozen Embryo. Slang term used for frozen embryos on message boards.

FSH: Follicle-stimulating hormone. A hormone that promotes the development of eggs and sperm.

FT: Full Term. A pregnancy is considered full-term at 39 weeks.

FTTA: Fertile Thoughts to All. Slang term used to sign off on message boards.

GD: Gestational Diabetes

GI: Gastrointestinal

GIFT: Gamete Intrafallopian Transfer

GnRH: Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone

GP: General Practitioner

GTT: Glucose Tolerance Test

H - I

hCG: Human Chorionic Gonadotropin. A hormone produced by a developing placenta in early pregnancy, which can be measured in urine or blood tests to detect pregnancy on a test.

HCP: Health Care Practitioner

HEPA: Hampster Egg Penetration Assay

hMG, hMG: Human Menopausal Gonadotropin

HPT: Home Pregnancy Test. A pregnancy test that you can do yourself at home via a urine sample.

HRT: Hormone Replacement Therapy

HSC: Hysteroscopy

HSG: Hysterosalpingogram

HX: History. Medical history.

IB: Implantation Bleeding. Light spotting or bleeding usually occurs 10-15 days after implantation.

IBT: Immunobead Binding Test

ICI: Intra-Cervical Insemination. When sperm is injected into the cervix.

ICSI: Intra-Cytoplasmic Sperm Injection. A lab technique where an embryologist injects a single sperm directly into an egg to promote fertilization.

IF: Infertility. Inability to conceive after one year of trying.

IGTT: Insulin and Glucose Tolerance Test

IM: Intramuscular injections

INCIID: International Council on Infertility Information Dissemination

IOR: Immature Oocyte Retrieval

IR: Insulin Resistant

ITI: Intratubal Insemination. Intratubal insemination involves the placement of pre-washed sperm directly into the fallopian tube.

IUGR: Intra-Uterine Growth Retardation

IUI: Intrauterine Insemination. A type of artificial insemination where sperm that has been collected and “washed” (a lab technique that separates out only the healthiest sperm) is placed directly in the uterus around the time of ovulation.

IVC: Intra-Vaginal Culture

IVF: In-vitro fertilization. A type of fertility treatment where egg(s) are fertilized by sperm outside the body (in a lab). First, there’s an egg-retrieval surgery to collect mature eggs from the ovaries, and then later the embryo(s) are transferred to a uterus in hopes of implantation and pregnancy.

IVIg: Intravenous Immunoglobulin

L - M

LAD: Leukocyte Antibody Detection Assay

LAP: Laparoscopy

LH: Luteinizing hormone. A hormone that triggers ovulation in people with eggs and stimulates testosterone production in people with sperm.

LIT: Leukocyte Immunization Therapy

LMP: Last Menstrual Period (start date)

LMP: Last Menstrual Period.

LP: Luteal-Phase

LPD: Luteal-Phase Defect

LSP: Low Sperm Count. A low sperm count is considered to have less than 15 million sperm per millilitre of semen. This condition is also called oligospermia.

LUF, LUFS: Luteinized Unruptured Follicle Syndrome

MAI: Miscarriage After Infertility. When a miscarriage occurs after undergoing infertility treatments.

MC, m/c, misc.: Miscarriage. The unexpecting ending of a pregnancy in the first 20 weeks of gestation.

MENTS: Subject Matter May Be Difficult to Read

MESA: Microsurgical Epididymal Sperm Aspiration. refers to the retrieval of sperm-containing fluid from the epididymis that is sent for processing and extraction of sperm. This procedure is done using an operating microscope that provides the high optical magnification required for this procedure. To induce fertilization and pregnancy, the extracted sperm is directly injected into the partner's egg by a process called Intracytoplasmic sperm injection or ICSI.

MF: Male factor. Infertility is linked to issues with sperm.

MMR: Measles-Mumps-Rubella Vaccine

MRI: Magnetic Resonance Imaging

N - O

ND: Naturopathic doctor. A doctor who specializes in naturopathic medicine, which typically combines scientific approaches with traditional and natural remedies.

NK: Natural Killer Cells

NORIF: Non-stimulated Oocyte Retrieval In (office) Fertilization

NP: Nurse Practitioner

NSA: Non-Surgical Sperm Aspiration

O, OV: Ovulation. When a mature egg is released from the ovaries. This is when it can potentially meet with sperm in the fallopian tubes and be fertilized.

OB or OB/GYN: Obstetrician or obstetrician-gynecologist. While a gynecologist focuses on female reproductive health overall, an obstetrician specializes in preconception, pregnancy, childbirth and post-natal care.

OC: Oral Contraceptives

OD: Ovum Donor, Ovulatory Dysfunction

OHSS: Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome. Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome is an exaggerated response to excess hormones. It occurs in women taking injectable hormone medications to stimulate the development of eggs in the ovaries.

OPK or OPT: Ovulation predictor kit or ovulation predictor test. An at-home urine-based test that can help detect oncoming ovulation.

OPK: Ovulation Predictor Kit

OPT: Ovulation Predictor Test

OTC: Over the Counter

P

P4. Prog: Progesterone

PA: Physician’s Assistant

PAF, PANFERT: Pregnancy After Infertility. Achieving pregnancy after struggling with infertility.

PAI-1: Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor-1

PCO: Polycystic Ovaries

PCOD: Polycystic Ovarian Disease

PCOS: Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. A condition where people with eggs have higher-than-usual androgens (a.k.a. "male hormones"). People with PCOS may also have irregular periods and/or a surplus of follicles in their ovaries. (Follicles are the fluid-filled sacs that hold eggs—though not technically “cysts,” that’s where the name PCOS comes from.)

PCP: Primary Care Physician

PCT: Post Coital Test

PESA: Percutaneous Epididymal Sperm Aspiration

PG: Pregnant. The result of a successful conception.

PGD: Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis. Genetic analysis of a live embryo to determine if there is any abnormality or genetic disease in chromosomes. By examining each embryo, your fertility specialist can determine the strongest, healthiest embryo(s) to implant within the surrogate or intended mother to increase your chances of a successful conception.

PGS/PGT-A: Preimplantation Genetic Screening. Genetic analysis of a live embryo to assess the number of chromosomes present. If more or less than 46 chromosomes are present (2 pairs of 23), there is an aneuploidy -- too many or too few chromosomes in the embryo.

PI: Primary Infertility. Primary infertility is a term used to describe a couple that has never been able to conceive a pregnancy after a minimum of 1 year of trying to do so through unprotected intercourse.

PID: Pelvic Inflammatory Disease

PIO: Progesterone in Oil. The hormone progesterone, which supports the uterine lining and implantation, is mixed with oil, and administered by injection during some fertility treatments.

PLI: Paternal Leukocyte Immunization

PMN: Perinatal Mortality

PMS: Pre-menstrual Syndrome

POAS: Pee on a stick. An at-home pregnancy test is done by, well, peeing on the testing stick.

POC: Products of Conception

POF: Premature Ovarian Failure

PROM: Premature Rupture of Membranes

PTSD: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

PUPO: Pregnant until proven otherwise. A positive mindset for the time between an embryo transfer and pregnancy test.

PZD: Partial Zona Dissection

R - S

R-hFSH: Recombinant Human Follicle Stimulating Hormone

RE: Reproductive endocrinologist. A doctor who is board-certified in reproductive endocrinology and infertility (REI), meaning they specifically help patients become and stay pregnant.

RI: Reproductive Immunologist

RIP: Reproductive Immunophenotype

ROS: Reactive Oxygen Species

RPL: Recurrent Pregnancy Loss. Recurrent pregnancy loss is defined as having two or more miscarriages.

RSM: Recurrent Spontaneous Abortion

RX: Prescription

S/B, s/b: Stillbirth

S/S: Signs/Symptoms

SA: Semen Analysis. A semen analysis, also called semenogram, spermiogram, or sperm count, measures the quantity and quality of a man's semen and sperm.

SART: Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology

SCORIF: Stimulated Cycle Oocyte Retrieval

SD: Sperm Donor. This term refers to the man whose sperm is used to fertilize the egg.

SHG, SonoHSG: Sono-hysterogram

SI: Secondary Infertility. Secondary infertility is the inability to conceive or carry a pregnancy to full term after previously given birth.

SLE: Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

SPA: Sperm Penetration Assay

SPALS: Subsequent Pregnancy After a Loss Support

STD: Sexually Transmitted Disease

SubQ: Subcutaneous Injection

SUZI: Sub-zonal Insertion

T - Z

T1: Type 1 Diabetic – Juvenile Diabetes

T2: Type 2 Diabetic – Insulin Resistant, Adult Onset

T4: Thyroxine

TDI: Therapeutic Donor Insemination

TEBG: Testosterone-Estradiol Binding Globulin

TESA: Testicular Sperm Aspiration

TET: Tubal Embryo Transfer

TL: Tubal Ligation

TORCH: Toxoplasmosis, Other, Rubella, Cytomegalovirus & Herpes Test

TR: Tubal Reversal

TR: Tubal Reversal. Tubal reversal is a surgical procedure to reconnect a woman's fallopian tubes after a previous tubal ligation.

TRH: Thyroid Releasing Hormone

TSE: Therapeutic Sperm Extraction

TSH: Thyroid Stimulating Hormone

TTC: Trying to Conceive. A term to describe someone actively trying to get pregnant.

TTCAR: Trying to Conceive After Reversal

TX: Treatment

TZD: Thiazolidinediones

UR: Urologist

US: Ultrasound. A non-invasive imaging method that allows medical professionals to look at ovaries, the uterus, a fetus and more. Ultrasounds are done periodically throughout the pregnancy. Ultrasounds can confirm the pregnancy, reveal the baby’s heartbeat, and see images at different stages in the pregnancy journey.

UTI: Urinary Tract Infection

V: Vasectomy

VR: Vasectomy Reversal

WBC: White Blood Count

WNL: Within Normal Limits

ZIFT: Zygote Intra-Fallopian Transfer

Congratulations! You've just unlocked the secret language of the fertility and infertility world.

I've covered a wide array of acronyms that are commonly used by those in the know. But, as the fertility journey is deeply personal and ever-evolving, there might be acronyms or terms that I haven't covered. If you've come across any that aren't in this guide, please feel free to share them in the comments or reach out to me directly.

At Embracing the Journey, I'm here to support you every step of the way, whether you're trying to conceive, struggling with infertility, pregnant, or navigating the challenges of the 4th trimester. My services encompass a wide range, from expert guidance on fertility issues to baby sleep consultation and acupressure massage for your little ones. I believe in unbiased, personalized support, regardless of your unique situation. Don't hesitate to reach out for more information, and remember, you're not alone on this journey.

I'm here to help you make informed choices and embrace this life-changing adventure.