Antega South Africa · Learning Centre
A–Z Fertility Glossary
299 fertility terms explained in plain language.
299 terms
A
Scheme cover that resumes once annual day-to-day spending passes a set amount.
A university-affiliated public hospital, where public-sector fertility care is concentrated.
Endometrial-type tissue growing within the muscular wall of the womb.
Telling SAHPRA about a suspected side effect or product problem.
Using a GnRH agonist instead of hCG for final egg maturation.
The absence of periods.
A blood test indicating how many eggs remain, not their quality.
The blood test used to estimate ovarian reserve; can be taken any cycle day.
A low haemoglobin level, most often from iron deficiency.
A group of hormones including testosterone, raised in some women with PCOS.
The laboratory area dealing with sperm testing and preparation.
Having too many or too few chromosomes.
A donor whose identity is not disclosed to the recipients.
Cycles in which no egg is released.
An IVF plan where the LH-blocking medicine starts partway through stimulation.
An immune condition linked with clotting and recurrent pregnancy loss.
Immune proteins that attach to sperm and hamper their movement.
The number of small resting follicles counted on an ultrasound scan.
An embryo that stops developing in the laboratory.
Extensive scarring inside the womb causing very light or absent periods.
Thinning or opening the embryo's outer shell before transfer.
Treatments that handle eggs or embryos outside the body, such as IVF and ICSI.
Reduced sperm movement.
No sperm found in the ejaculate.
B
Inverters, batteries, UPS units or generators keeping a fridge running during outages.
Your resting temperature, which rises slightly after ovulation.
The production code on a medicine pack, used for recalls and checks.
A blood pregnancy test that measures the exact level of hCG.
A pregnancy detected only by hormone tests, which ends very early.
An embryo about five to six days old with a fluid cavity and two cell groups.
The process of an embryo becoming a blastocyst.
Tubes that sperm and egg cannot pass through.
C
Fluid from the cervix that becomes clear and stretchy around ovulation.
A narrow or tight cervical canal that can make embryo transfer difficult.
A packaged strand of DNA; humans normally have 46 in each cell.
Persistent low-grade inflammation of the womb lining.
Scheme cover for approved long-term medicines, subject to registration.
An early embryo of about two to eight cells, on days 2 to 3.
A pregnancy confirmed on ultrasound, not only by a blood test.
The portion of a bill you pay yourself.
Keeping refrigerated medicines within their temperature range from pharmacy to injection.
The start of pregnancy, when a fertilised egg implants in the womb lining.
A difference in the shape of the womb present from birth.
The signed document setting out what you agree to and for how long.
Using medicines to grow several follicles at once in a planned way.
Storing eggs, sperm, embryos or tissue frozen in liquid nitrogen.
Long-term storage of frozen eggs, sperm or embryos in liquid nitrogen.
The nutrient fluid embryos grow in inside the incubator.
Stopping a treatment cycle before egg collection or transfer.
The numbered day of your cycle, counting the first day of full bleeding as day 1.
The clinic's charge for the core IVF cycle, usually excluding medicines.
D
Baseline hormone bloods taken early in the cycle.
A cleavage-stage embryo, usually with about six to eight cells.
An embryo that reaches blastocyst a day later than usual.
A provider your scheme has contracted with, using out-of-network providers costs more.
Fewer eggs remaining than expected for your age.
The lead follicle that outgrows the others and releases an egg in a natural cycle.
Building a family using donated eggs, sperm or embryos.
Eggs donated by another woman, fertilised and transferred to the recipient.
An embryo donated by another person or couple.
The medical, genetic and infection checks a donor must pass.
Sperm donated by another person, used in IUI or IVF.
Transferring two embryos in one procedure.
Temporarily switching off your own cycle hormones before stimulation.
The estimated date of delivery, about 40 weeks of gestation.
E
A pregnancy that implants outside the womb, usually in a fallopian tube.
Collecting and vitrifying unfertilised eggs for use in the future.
Whether a collected egg is mature enough to be fertilised.
The procedure that collects eggs from the ovaries with a fine needle.
Choosing to transfer one embryo when more good embryos are available.
The developing group of cells formed after an egg is fertilised.
Removing a few cells from an embryo for genetic testing.
Growing embryos in the laboratory in a carefully controlled incubator.
Vitrifying surplus or all embryos for transfer in a later cycle.
A transfer medium containing hyaluronan, offered as an optional add-on.
The laboratory's scoring of how an embryo looks under the microscope.
Placing an embryo into the uterus through a fine catheter.
The fine soft tube used to place an embryo in the womb.
The scientist who handles eggs, sperm and embryos in the laboratory.
The laboratory's written summary of how your embryos developed.
Follicles that yield no eggs at collection.
A small sample of womb lining taken for laboratory examination.
How ready the womb lining is to accept an embryo.
Deliberately grazing the womb lining before a cycle, an add-on with limited evidence.
The measured depth of the womb lining on ultrasound.
An ovarian cyst filled with old blood, caused by endometriosis.
Tissue similar to the womb lining growing outside the womb, often causing pain.
A biopsy-based test that claims to identify your personal transfer timing.
Difficulty getting or keeping an erection firm enough for sex.
An embryo with the expected number of chromosomes on testing.
A request for a scheme to pay something it is not obliged to cover.
A blastocyst whose cavity has grown and thinned the outer shell.
The date after which a medicine should not be used.
F
A fake or deliberately mislabelled product presented as a genuine medicine.
The days in a cycle when sex is most likely to lead to pregnancy.
When a sperm enters an egg and the two sets of genetic material combine.
When few or no eggs fertilise after IVF or ICSI.
The update the day after collection saying how many eggs fertilised.
The natural ability to conceive a pregnancy.
A registered counsellor or psychologist supporting people through treatment.
The nurse coordinating your cycle, teaching injections and monitoring.
Storing eggs, sperm, embryos or tissue to protect future fertility.
The heart activity seen on an early scan, usually from about six weeks.
The earliest visible form of the developing baby on a scan.
A B vitamin taken before conception to reduce the risk of neural tube defects.
A series of scans measuring follicles as they grow.
The first half of the cycle, when follicles grow and the womb lining thickens.
The list of medicines a scheme will pay for.
An IVF cycle where every suitable embryo is frozen and transfer happens later.
Transferring an embryo in the same cycle the eggs were collected.
A thermometer in the fridge that shows whether storage stayed in range.
Thawing a previously frozen embryo and transferring it in a later cycle.
The pituitary hormone that stimulates follicles to grow.
An injection containing follicle-stimulating hormone to grow follicles.
G
Short-term insurance that pays shortfalls between provider charges and scheme rates.
Dispensing an equivalent product containing the same active ingredient.
Testing to see whether you carry a gene change that could affect a child.
Specialist advice about inherited conditions and testing choices.
Tuberculosis affecting the reproductive tract, a recognised cause of tubal damage.
How far along a pregnancy is, counted in weeks.
The fluid-filled space in the womb that is the first sign of pregnancy on a scan.
A surrogate who has no genetic link to the baby she carries.
The brain hormone that controls release of FSH and LH.
A medicine that first stimulates then switches off the pituitary's own hormones.
A medicine that blocks the LH surge quickly, usually started mid-stimulation.
Injectable hormone medicines that stimulate the ovaries or testes.
H
A blastocyst beginning to break out of its outer shell.
The pregnancy hormone; also used as a trigger injection in fertility treatment.
Using hCG to mature the eggs before collection.
A large number of follicles developing, raising the risk of OHSS.
A stimulation medicine containing both FSH and LH activity.
The Health Professions Council of South Africa, which registers health practitioners.
An ultrasound test of the fallopian tubes using contrast foam or fluid.
A fallopian tube blocked at the end and swollen with fluid.
Low testosterone caused by the testes or the pituitary not working properly.
An X-ray test showing whether the fallopian tubes are open.
Looking inside the womb with a thin telescope, and treating what is found.
I
A single sperm is injected directly into an egg during IVF.
An egg collected before it is ready to be fertilised.
When an embryo attaches to and embeds in the lining of the womb.
The short period when the womb lining is receptive to an embryo.
The controlled chamber where embryos are cultured.
Not conceiving after 12 months of regular unprotected sex (or 6 months from age 35).
A health condition passed down through genes in a family.
How to prepare, give and dispose of fertility injections correctly.
The cluster of cells in a blastocyst that may develop into the fetus.
The person or couple who will be the child's legal parents.
An injection into a muscle, using a longer needle.
Scar tissue inside the womb cavity that can stick the walls together.
Placing prepared sperm directly into the womb around ovulation.
Eggs are retrieved and fertilised in a laboratory, then an embryo is transferred.
The expected drop in numbers from follicles to eggs to embryos.
The controlled laboratory where eggs, sperm and embryos are handled.
K
L
Keyhole surgery to inspect and treat the pelvis.
The pituitary hormone whose surge triggers ovulation.
The sharp rise in luteinising hormone that triggers ovulation.
A pharmacy registered with the South African Pharmacy Council.
Planned rotational power cuts, which affect medicine storage and appointments.
An IVF plan starting with down-regulation before stimulation.
The time between ovulation and the next period, when progesterone is highest.
Medicines given after transfer to support the womb lining.
M
Difficulty conceiving caused wholly or partly by sperm.
An egg that has reached the stage where it can be fertilised.
The scheme savings portion that can be used for day-to-day claims.
A regulated health cover scheme that pays part of private healthcare costs.
A frozen transfer where oestrogen and progesterone prepare the lining.
A temporary unavailability of a particular product or presentation.
The monthly hormonal cycle from the first day of a period to the day before the next.
Microsurgical TESE, using an operating microscope to find the most promising tubules.
IVF using lower doses of stimulation medicine, aiming for fewer eggs.
The loss of a pregnancy before 20 to 24 weeks.
A practice run of the transfer, without an embryo.
A natural-cycle frozen transfer where a trigger injection fixes the timing.
A transvaginal scan during treatment to track follicles and the womb lining.
A compact ball of cells, usually seen on day 4.
An embryo where the biopsy showed a mixture of normal and abnormal cells.
Different cells in the same embryo or person carrying different chromosomes.
Carrying twins or more, which raises risks for mother and babies.
N
A frozen transfer timed to your own ovulation, with no or minimal medicines.
IVF collecting the single egg your body produces, with little or no stimulation.
A sample in which most sperm are dead rather than merely immobile.
An egg showing exactly two pronuclei the morning after insemination.
O
The main oestrogen, produced by growing follicles; also written estradiol.
Oestrogen medicine used to build the womb lining before a frozen transfer.
Ovulating only occasionally or unpredictably.
Infrequent periods — typically cycles longer than about 35 days.
A lower than expected number of sperm in the semen.
Fertility care for people having cancer treatment.
The medical word for an egg cell.
What you pay yourself after any scheme contribution.
A fluid-filled sac on or in an ovary; most are harmless and temporary.
An over-response to fertility medication causing swollen, painful ovaries.
An estimate of how many eggs remain in the ovaries.
An ovary twisting on its blood supply — a surgical emergency.
The release of a mature egg from an ovary, usually once each cycle.
Medication used to trigger egg release where ovulation is irregular or absent.
A urine test that detects the LH surge one to two days before ovulation.
A menstrual cycle in which an egg is actually released.
P
The laboratory that processes blood tests and tissue samples.
Polycystic ovary syndrome, a common cause of irregular or absent ovulation.
Bands of scar tissue joining pelvic organs that should move freely.
Infection of the upper reproductive tract that can scar the tubes.
A scan of the womb, ovaries and pelvis, done through the abdomen or internally.
Percutaneous epididymal sperm aspiration — drawing sperm from the epididymis with a fine needle.
Testing embryos for genetic or chromosomal conditions before transfer.
Testing embryos for the correct number of chromosomes.
Testing embryos for a specific inherited condition in the family.
Testing embryos when a parent carries a chromosome rearrangement.
Fewer follicles and eggs developing than expected despite stimulation.
Approval from your scheme before a procedure, needed for benefits to apply.
A positive pregnancy test with nothing yet visible on a scan.
Ovaries stopping normal function before age 40.
Releasing eggs before they can be collected.
A defined set of conditions all medical schemes must cover.
Never having conceived a pregnancy.
A privately funded clinic where most South African IVF is done.
The hormone that prepares and maintains the womb lining after ovulation.
Progesterone given by injection, usually into the muscle.
A progesterone capsule or tablet used vaginally for luteal support.
Progesterone medicine used after transfer to help maintain the lining.
A blood test about a week before the expected period, to confirm ovulation.
Sperm that swim purposefully forwards rather than in place.
A pituitary hormone that, when raised, can stop ovulation.
State-funded fertility services, available at a small number of academic hospitals.
R
The person receiving donated eggs, sperm or embryos.
Repeated transfers of good embryos without pregnancy.
Repeated miscarriages, usually two or three or more.
The letter from a doctor or clinic asking a specialist unit to see you.
A bundled price covering several cycles, sometimes with a partial refund.
A medicine SAHPRA has approved for use in South Africa.
A second hCG blood test, usually 48 hours later, to see how the level is changing.
A gynaecologist with further training in fertility treatment.
Semen travelling backwards into the bladder instead of out.
S
The regulator that authorises medicines and health products in South Africa.
An ultrasound with sterile fluid in the womb to outline the cavity.
The Southern African Society of Reproductive Medicine and Gynaecological Endoscopy.
Formally disputing a scheme's refusal to pay.
The rate a medical scheme pays for a service, often below what a provider charges.
Difficulty conceiving after a previous pregnancy.
SAHPRA permission to use an unregistered medicine for a named patient.
The period after savings run out but before above-threshold benefits start.
A laboratory test of sperm number, movement and shape.
How much fluid is produced in one ejaculate.
A puncture-proof container for used needles and pens.
Safe disposal of used needles in a puncture-proof container.
Transferring one embryo to avoid the risks of twins.
A pregnancy with one baby.
Someone choosing to have a child on their own, usually with donor gametes.
How many sperm there are in each millilitre of semen.
The total number of sperm in the whole ejaculate.
Breaks in the genetic material carried inside sperm.
A specialised semen test measuring DNA damage inside sperm.
Storing a semen or surgically retrieved sample frozen for later use.
The percentage of sperm with a normal shape.
The proportion of sperm that are moving.
The phase of IVF where injections encourage several follicles to grow.
The individual plan of which medicines you take, in what order.
Your written agreement about keeping frozen eggs, sperm or embryos.
An ongoing charge for keeping frozen eggs, sperm or embryos.
An injection into the fatty layer just under the skin.
Reduced fertility — conception is slower than average but still possible.
Collecting sperm directly from the testis or epididymis with a procedure.
Another woman carrying a pregnancy for the intended parents.
The woman who carries the pregnancy for the intended parents.
T
When a refrigerated medicine goes outside its safe temperature range.
A high proportion of abnormally shaped sperm.
Testicular sperm aspiration — drawing sperm directly from the testis with a needle.
Testicular sperm extraction — taking small pieces of testicular tissue to find sperm.
The main male sex hormone; also present in smaller amounts in women.
Bringing frozen material back to working temperature for use.
The separate charge for use of the operating theatre and its staff.
A womb lining that stays thinner than clinics usually want before transfer.
Blood tests for clotting tendencies, used selectively after pregnancy loss.
Incubators that photograph embryos continuously without disturbing them.
Planning sex around the fertile window, sometimes with scans or medicines.
An internal scan giving a clear view of the ovaries and womb.
Carrying medicines and needles safely on journeys within or outside South Africa.
An optional extra offered alongside standard treatment, often at extra cost.
The final injection that matures the eggs before collection.
The outer cell layer of a blastocyst that may form the placenta.
A blood test of thyroid function, checked because thyroid problems affect fertility.
Infertility caused by blocked or damaged fallopian tubes.
The period between transfer or ovulation and a reliable pregnancy test.
U
No cause found after standard fertility testing.
The means-tested fee scale used in state hospitals.
Non-cancerous muscle growths in the wall of the womb.
A small overgrowth of womb lining projecting into the cavity.
A band of tissue dividing part of the womb cavity from birth.
V
When one of two early sacs stops developing and is reabsorbed.
Enlarged veins in the scrotum that can affect sperm quality.
An early pregnancy scan checking location, number and heartbeat.
Ultra-rapid freezing that turns cells to a glass-like state without ice crystals.
W
Time after joining a scheme before certain benefits can be claimed.
The rapid process of bringing a vitrified egg or embryo back to use.
The double-check that the right eggs, sperm and embryos are used.