Antega Australia · Learning Centre
A–Z Fertility Glossary
398 fertility terms explained in plain language.
398 terms
A
Culturally safe fertility care for First Nations people.
Endometrial-type tissue within the muscular wall of the uterus.
Bands of scar tissue joining pelvic structures together.
Pregnancy at 35 or older, a clinical rather than judgemental label.
How mistakes and safety incidents must be reported.
Using a GnRH agonist instead of hCG to mature eggs.
Why Australian guidance advises no alcohol when planning pregnancy.
Absent periods.
A blood test that estimates the size of the remaining egg pool.
A blood test estimating how many eggs remain in the ovaries.
A diagnostic test sampling fluid from around the baby.
Steroid or testosterone use that suppresses sperm production.
A group of hormones including testosterone.
An abnormal number of chromosomes in an egg, sperm or embryo.
Cycles in which no egg is released.
Routine pregnancy care through the public or private system.
Supplements marketed to improve semen quality.
Blood tests done after recurrent miscarriage.
An ultrasound count of small follicles visible early in the cycle.
The Australian and New Zealand Assisted Reproduction Database.
The national dataset of ART cycles and outcomes.
Independent assessment that a fertility unit meets required standards.
The mix of national guidelines, accreditation and state law governing fertility treatment.
Scar tissue inside the uterine cavity.
Thinning or opening the outer shell of an embryo before transfer.
A laboratory step used after previous fertilisation failure.
Treatments involving handling eggs, sperm or embryos outside the body.
A prescription needing approval before the PBS subsidy applies.
Immune conditions that may affect conception, pregnancy or medicines.
No sperm found in the ejaculate.
B
Chromosome material swapped between chromosomes without loss.
Waking temperature, which rises slightly after ovulation.
The scan at the start of a treatment cycle before stimulation.
Entitlements after miscarriage or stillbirth in Australia.
The blood test that confirms and monitors early pregnancy.
A very early loss detected only by a positive pregnancy test.
Registering a birth with the state registry of births, deaths and marriages.
An embryo that has developed for about five or six days after fertilisation.
Billing Medicare directly so there is no charge to you.
Lower-cost IVF services with minimal or no out-of-pocket fees.
C
How much coffee is generally considered acceptable.
A treatment cycle stopped before egg collection or transfer.
How cancer treatment can affect future fertility.
Being born without the tubes that carry sperm.
Fluid from the cervix that changes texture around ovulation.
Australia's HPV-based test replacing the old Pap smear.
The neck of the uterus, opening into the vagina.
A test for a common infection that can damage the tubes.
A diagnostic test sampling placental tissue.
A packaged strand of DNA; humans normally have 46.
An embryo on day two or three, made of a few cells.
Published outcome figures used to compare clinics.
A pregnancy confirmed on ultrasound, not just by a blood test.
The proportion of cycles or transfers reaching a pregnancy visible on ultrasound.
An older ovulation-induction tablet that blocks oestrogen feedback.
An immune reaction to gluten that can affect nutrition and fertility.
Nuchal translucency ultrasound plus a blood test.
Paid surrogacy, which is unlawful in Australia.
The point at which an egg is fertilised by sperm.
The signed agreements governing treatment, storage and use.
Mixing eggs and prepared sperm in a dish rather than injecting.
The structure left after ovulation that makes progesterone.
Long-term storage of eggs, sperm or embryos in liquid nitrogen.
Interpreters and culturally responsive fertility care.
The chance of a live birth across all transfers from one egg collection.
Doing several collections to accumulate eggs or embryos before transfer.
The first day of full menstrual bleeding.
A recessive genetic condition included in carrier screening.
D
An ultrasound establishing gestational age and due date.
The facility charge for egg collection or day surgery.
How type 1 and type 2 diabetes affect conception and pregnancy.
A short procedure to empty the uterus after a miscarriage.
A home or mail-order test bought without a doctor's involvement.
Moving from fertility care to routine pregnancy care.
The lead follicle in a natural cycle that goes on to ovulate.
Building a family using donated eggs, sperm or embryos.
Eggs provided by a donor and fertilised for the recipient.
Supported contact between donors, recipients and donor-conceived people.
An official record linking donors, recipients and donor-conceived people.
Sperm provided by a donor for IUI, IVF or ICSI.
Temporarily switching off natural hormone signals before stimulation.
Painful periods.
E
Accessing superannuation early on compassionate grounds for treatment costs.
The first ultrasound after a positive pregnancy test in IVF.
A pregnancy implanting outside the uterus, usually in a tube.
The procedure that retrieves eggs from the ovaries.
Collecting and vitrifying unfertilised eggs for later use.
What stored eggs realistically translate to later.
Transferring one embryo at a time to avoid twins.
Growing embryos in the laboratory after fertilisation.
Deciding what happens to remaining stored embryos.
Donating remaining embryos to another person or couple.
Vitrifying embryos created from your own or donor gametes.
The scoring system embryologists use to describe embryo appearance.
Research use of embryos, permitted only under licence.
Deciding which embryo to transfer first.
Placing an embryo into the uterus through the cervix.
The scientist who cares for eggs, sperm and embryos in the laboratory.
A small overgrowth of the uterine lining.
A biopsy test claiming to personalise transfer timing.
Deliberately disturbing the uterine lining before transfer.
The measured depth of the uterine lining before transfer.
An ovarian cyst formed by endometriosis.
Tissue similar to the uterine lining growing outside the uterus.
The lining of the uterus that thickens each cycle.
Workplace and household chemicals that may affect fertility.
The coiled tube where sperm mature and are stored.
Difficulty getting or keeping an erection.
An embryo with the expected number of chromosomes.
How much activity supports fertility, and when it is too much.
Higher rebates on eligible out-of-hospital services once your annual threshold is reached.
F
The tube carrying an egg from the ovary towards the uterus.
Caps on how many families one donor may help create.
The chance of conceiving in a single menstrual cycle.
The biological capacity to produce a live birth.
A blood test showing how much iron is stored in the body.
The roughly six days when sex can lead to pregnancy.
A sperm and an egg joining to form a single cell.
The proportion of eggs that fertilise normally in the laboratory.
The ability to conceive a pregnancy and carry it to a live birth.
Tracking cycle signs to identify fertile days.
A licensed unit providing fertility treatment and laboratory services.
Specialist counselling offered as part of fertility care.
The standard set of tests done when conception is taking longer.
Storing eggs, sperm, embryos or tissue for future use.
A gynaecologist with additional training and practice in reproductive medicine.
Cardiac activity visible from around six weeks.
A benign muscle growth in or on the wall of the uterus.
A supplement taken before and in early pregnancy to prevent neural tube defects.
A fluid-filled sac in the ovary that may contain an egg.
Repeat scans measuring follicle growth during a cycle.
The first half of the cycle, when a follicle grows.
Foods to avoid because of listeria and other risks.
A gene change that can expand and also affect ovarian function.
Small cellular fragments seen in a developing embryo.
Freezing all embryos rather than transferring in the same cycle.
Transferring an embryo in the same cycle as egg collection.
Transferring a previously frozen and warmed embryo.
The pituitary hormone that stimulates follicles to grow.
G
The difference between the clinic's fee and the Medicare rebate.
Specialist advice about inherited conditions and testing choices.
Diabetes first appearing in pregnancy.
The first structure visible on ultrasound in early pregnancy.
Surrogacy where the surrogate is not genetically related to the baby.
The brain hormone that controls FSH and LH release.
A longer protocol that first suppresses the natural cycle.
The most common IVF protocol, using antagonist injections to prevent early ovulation.
Treatment that can damage the ovaries or testes.
Hormones such as FSH and LH that act on the ovaries or testes.
H
A blastocyst breaking out of its outer shell.
The pregnancy hormone, also used as a trigger injection.
Why prolonged heat can lower semen quality.
Periods heavy enough to affect daily life.
A pregnancy in the uterus and an ectopic pregnancy at the same time.
Excess coarse hair growth in a male pattern.
An X-ray dye test showing whether the tubes are open.
An ultrasound test of whether the fallopian tubes are open.
A fallopian tube blocked and filled with fluid.
Low sex-hormone production from the testes or ovaries.
Periods stopping because the brain's hormone signals are suppressed.
The brain region that signals the pituitary to drive the cycle.
An underactive thyroid gland.
A camera examination inside the uterine cavity.
I
A single sperm is injected directly into an egg during IVF.
Donation where the donor's identifying information is available to the child.
An egg not yet ready to be fertilised.
Steroids, intralipids or immunoglobulin offered for failed cycles.
An embryo embedding into the lining of the uterus.
Embryos not implanting despite repeated good-quality transfers.
Gestational sacs seen on scan divided by embryos transferred.
The short period when the lining is most receptive to an embryo.
Maturing immature eggs in the laboratory.
The controlled chamber where embryos grow.
Blood tests required before fertility treatment.
Not conceiving after 12 months of regular unprotected sex.
A written explanation of costs before you agree to treatment.
The part of a blastocyst that becomes the baby.
Reduced response to insulin, common in PCOS.
A nutrient needed for a baby's brain development.
Low iron stores, common with heavy periods and in pregnancy.
Cycles that vary widely in length or are unpredictable.
Placing prepared sperm directly into the uterus around ovulation.
Eggs are collected and fertilised in a laboratory, then an embryo is transferred to the uterus.
An optional extra offered alongside standard IVF.
The controlled environment where eggs, sperm and embryos are handled.
K
L
Keyhole surgery to inspect and treat the pelvis.
Who the law recognises as a child's parents.
A tablet used off-label in Australia to bring on ovulation, often in PCOS.
An excess of white blood cells in semen.
Fertility pathways for LGBTIQA+ people and couples.
The pituitary hormone whose surge triggers ovulation.
The rise in luteinising hormone that triggers ovulation.
Rebuilding after treatment ends without a baby.
The birth of a baby showing signs of life.
The proportion of cycles or transfers that result in a live birth.
The time between ovulation and the next period.
Progesterone given after transfer to support the lining.
M
Infertility caused wholly or partly by sperm-related problems.
The age of the person carrying the pregnancy.
An egg at the stage where it can be fertilised.
The code identifying a Medicare-rebated service.
Your right to obtain copies of your treatment records.
Australia's public health insurance scheme.
A part-payment from Medicare towards an eligible service; you pay the remaining gap.
Higher rebates once your yearly out-of-pocket costs reach a threshold.
Preparing the lining with oestrogen and progesterone tablets or patches.
The cell division that halves chromosome number to make eggs and sperm.
The permanent end of periods, confirmed after 12 months without one.
The monthly hormonal cycle from the first day of one period to the next.
A GP plan giving Medicare-rebated psychology sessions.
Which Australian fish to limit during pregnancy.
Microsurgical collection of sperm from the epididymis.
A medicine that improves insulin sensitivity, sometimes used in PCOS.
Microsurgical search for sperm within the testis.
A blood test about seven days after ovulation to confirm it happened.
IVF using lower medication doses.
Pregnancy loss before 20 weeks.
A pregnancy that has stopped developing without bleeding.
A technique to prevent serious mitochondrial disease, legal in Australia under licence.
One-sided lower abdominal pain around ovulation.
A practice run of the transfer without an embryo.
A compacted ball of cells on about day four.
An embryo with both normal and abnormal cells on genetic testing.
A congenital difference in the shape of the uterus.
Carrying twins or more, which carries higher risks.
Surgery to remove fibroids while keeping the uterus.
The muscular wall of the uterus.
N
Timing a frozen transfer to your own ovulation.
Collecting the single egg produced in an unstimulated cycle.
A birth difference affecting the brain or spinal cord.
National ethical rules for the use of ART in clinical practice and research.
A blood screening test in pregnancy for common chromosome conditions.
No sperm because production in the testes is impaired.
O
How higher or very low body weight can affect conception.
No sperm in the ejaculate because of a blockage.
The hormone that grows the uterine lining and rises with follicles.
An excessive response to fertility drugs that makes the ovaries swell and fluid shift.
Steps taken to avoid ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome.
Symptoms after egg collection that need urgent medical review.
Ovulating infrequently or unpredictably.
Infrequent periods, usually fewer than nine a year.
A lower than expected number of sperm.
A pregnancy still continuing beyond the first trimester.
The medical word for an egg cell.
Whether a collected egg has reached the stage where it can be fertilised.
What you actually pay after rebates.
The number of eggs remaining in the ovaries.
How many follicles and eggs develop during stimulation.
Injections encouraging several follicles to grow for IVF.
GnRH agonist injections given to protect the ovaries.
Freezing ovarian tissue, sometimes the only urgent option.
An ovary twisting on its blood supply — a surgical emergency.
The organ that stores eggs and produces oestrogen and progesterone.
The release of a mature egg from the ovary.
Medicines used to make the ovaries release an egg.
A urine test that detects the LH surge before ovulation.
Working out the fertile window using tests, apps or clinic monitoring.
P
The court order transferring legal parenthood after surrogacy.
The age of the sperm-providing partner, which also affects outcomes.
Independent checks that a laboratory meets required standards.
The scheme subsidising the cost of prescription medicines.
Reduced medicine costs once you reach a yearly spending threshold.
A common hormonal condition causing irregular ovulation.
Connecting with others going through fertility treatment.
Infection of the upper reproductive tract.
Ongoing pain in the lower abdomen or pelvis.
An ultrasound scan of the uterus and ovaries.
The chance of a live birth from each embryo transfer, not each cycle.
The transition years before periods stop.
The lining of the abdominal and pelvic cavity.
Needle aspiration of sperm from the epididymis.
A medicine inserted into the vagina, commonly progesterone.
Testing embryos for the correct number of chromosomes.
Testing embryos for a specific inherited condition in the family.
Testing embryos where a parent carries a chromosome rearrangement.
The gland in the brain that releases FSH and LH.
The ultrasound appearance of many small follicles in the ovaries.
Few follicles or eggs despite adequate stimulation.
Using stored eggs, sperm or embryos after a person has died.
A serious pregnancy condition involving high blood pressure.
The period of preparing for pregnancy before conceiving.
Health steps taken in the months before trying for a baby.
Vitamins recommended, and those with little evidence, before pregnancy.
The particular experience of being pregnant after treatment.
Counselling and peer support after miscarriage, ectopic loss or stillbirth.
Eating well before and during pregnancy.
A positive test with nothing yet visible on ultrasound.
Releasing eggs before they can be collected.
Birth before 37 weeks of pregnancy.
Infertility where there has never been a pregnancy.
Ovarian function ending before age 40.
How your health and genetic information is protected.
Optional cover that may pay hospital costs for fertility treatment.
Genetic testing of pregnancy tissue after a loss.
The hormone that prepares and maintains the uterine lining.
A pituitary hormone that can stop ovulation when raised.
A gland producing part of the fluid in semen.
R
The 2025 national review of how IVF is regulated and accredited.
One partner provides the eggs and the other carries the pregnancy.
Repeated miscarriages, usually two or three or more.
Marketing claims that should prompt caution.
The GP letter that gets you seen and makes Medicare rebates available.
Too little fuel for training demands, which can stop periods.
The years in which pregnancy is biologically possible.
The gradual decline in egg and sperm quality and quantity over time.
Testing prospective parents for recessive genetic conditions.
Semen passing backwards into the bladder at orgasm.
A blood test checking protection against German measles.
S
An ultrasound with fluid to outline the uterine cavity.
Surgery to remove a fallopian tube.
The sac of skin holding the testes below the body.
Seeing another specialist to review your plan.
Difficulty conceiving again after a previous pregnancy.
Anaesthetic care during the egg collection procedure.
The fluid ejaculated, containing sperm and glandular secretions.
A laboratory test of sperm volume, concentration, motility and morphology.
How to produce a reliable semen sample.
How much fluid is in the ejaculate.
Glands producing most of the fluid volume of semen.
Choosing an embryo's sex, which is restricted in Australia.
A protein that binds sex hormones in the blood.
Transferring one embryo at a time to avoid twin pregnancy.
Why shift work and poor sleep matter.
How tobacco and vaping affect eggs, sperm and pregnancy.
Choosing to become a parent on your own using donor gametes.
The male reproductive cell that fertilises an egg.
The number of sperm per millilitre of semen.
A test measuring breaks in the genetic material of sperm.
Storing semen or surgically retrieved sperm for future treatment.
The proportion of sperm with a normal shape.
The proportion of sperm that are moving.
Laboratory washing to select the best-moving sperm.
The proportion of sperm that are alive.
The process of making sperm inside the testes.
A recessive condition included in Australian carrier screening.
Light bleeding outside a normal period.
Laws that differ across Australian states and territories.
The death of a baby at or after 20 weeks of pregnancy.
Deciding to pause or end fertility treatment.
Annual charges for keeping eggs, sperm or embryos frozen.
How long eggs, sperm and embryos may be kept.
What is known about stress, and what is unhelpful to say.
Reduced chance of conceiving each month, rather than an inability to conceive.
A fibroid bulging into the uterine cavity.
Collecting sperm directly from the testis or epididymis.
Someone carrying a pregnancy for intended parents.
The proportion of frozen eggs or embryos that survive thawing intact.
T
Consultations by phone or video.
Sharing the story of how a donor-conceived child was conceived.
Deciding whether and how to disclose treatment at work.
Needle aspiration of sperm from testicular tissue.
Surgical removal of small pieces of testicular tissue to find sperm.
Storing testicular tissue for pre-pubertal boys.
The male gonad that produces sperm and testosterone.
The main male sex hormone, also present in women in small amounts.
An inherited or acquired tendency for the blood to clot more easily.
Blood tests, usually TSH, checking thyroid activity.
How many cycles or months of trying it takes to conceive.
Continuous photography of embryos inside the incubator.
Planning sex around ovulation, sometimes with monitoring.
No eggs fertilise after insemination or ICSI.
Concentration multiplied by the volume of the sample.
An infection from soil, cat litter or undercooked meat.
Surrogacy using the surrogate's own egg.
Preserving or using fertility alongside gender-affirming care.
An internal ultrasound using a slim probe placed in the vagina.
Costs and logistics for people travelling to a clinic.
Deciding in advance how many cycles you can fund.
The final injection that matures eggs before collection.
The layered appearance of a well-prepared uterine lining.
The outer cell layer of a blastocyst that forms the placenta.
Removing a few outer cells from a blastocyst for genetic testing.
Actively attempting pregnancy, usually shortened to TTC.
Infertility caused by blocked or damaged fallopian tubes.
The sign, seen the day after insemination, that fertilisation was normal.
The gap between ovulation or transfer and a pregnancy test.
U
V
Immunisations checked or updated before trying to conceive.
The muscular canal connecting the cervix to the outside of the body.
A blood test checking protection against chickenpox.
Enlarged veins in the scrotum that can affect sperm quality.
The tube carrying sperm from the epididymis towards the urethra.
A permanent male contraceptive procedure.
Surgery to reconnect the vas deferens after a vasectomy.
A nutrient made in the skin from sunlight, sometimes low in Australia.
Ultra-rapid freezing that turns cells to glass without ice crystals.
W
The time you must hold private cover before claiming.
Thawing a vitrified egg or embryo before use.
Checks that ensure the right eggs, sperm and embryos stay together.
Leave and flexibility while having fertility treatment.