An office procedure in which a small, soft plastic catheter is passed through the cervix to gently obtain a small sample of uterine lining (endometrium.) No anesthesia or incisions are involved. Many women find over the counter pain medication reduces cramping after the exam.

An x-ray study in which contrast (“dye”) is infused into the uterus to show the cavity of the uterus and test whether the fallopian tubes are open. Does not require anesthesia, although over the counter pain medication is recommended before the exam.

An outpatient surgical examination of the inside of the uterus through a small fiber-optic scope inserted through the vagina and cervical canal. Can be both diagnostic and therapeutic, generally requires anesthesia.

Use of a surgical instrument inserted through a small incision in the navel to allow direct visualization of the ovaries and the exterior of the fallopian tubes and uterus. Necessary to diagnose conditions such as endometriosis. Can be both diagnostic and therapeutic, done under general anesthesia.

A laboratory technique in which an embryo resulting from IVF is carefully opened and a single cell removed to allow for genetic testing.

An office procedure in which cervical mucus is collected following intercourse and analyzed under a microscope to identify possible problems with the interaction of sperm and cervical mucus.

Also called a sonogram. A technique using sound waves to visualize any internal organ: in fertility care usually the uterus and ovaries, a fetus in the uterus, or the growth of ovarian follicles during infertility treatment.

An office study under ultrasound in which sterile saline is infused into the uterus to show the cavity of the uterus. Similar to an HSG but does not give information about the fallopian tubes. Does not require any anesthesia or medication.

see ultrasound.

A microsurgical procedure, done in a hospital under general anesthesia, in which fallopian tubes that have been ligated (“cut,” “tied”) are sewn back together.

A surgical procedure in which an ovarian cyst is removed, while preserving all or most of the normal ovary. Can be an outpatient procedure via a laparoscope, or may require an inpatient stay.

Gamete intra-fallopian transfer involves combining sperm and eggs outside the body and immediately placing them into the fallopian tubes for fertilization to occur.

A class of injectible fertility drug used in superovulation for IVF or inseminations, containing either FSH alone or and FSH and LH mix.

A surgical examination of the uterine cavity through a fiber-optic telescope inserted through the vagina and cervical canal. Requires anesthesia. Can be both diagnostic and therapeutic.

A laboratory technique in which an individual sperm is selected and prepared by the embryologist for injection into a specific egg.

IUI is the insertion of sperm, which have been carefully washed and prepared, directly into the uterus in a nearly-painless, simple office procedure.

In vitro fertilization is done in the embryology laboratory: it involves removal of a woman’s eggs from mature follicles, with the eggs later fertilized by sperm cells outside the woman’s body.

An outpatient surgical technique in which a surgical instrument is inserted through a small incision in the navel. It allows direct visualization of the ovaries and the exterior of the fallopian tubes and uterus. Can be both diagnostic and therapeutic.

Surgery for the removal of a fibroid; may be done in selected cases on an outpatient basis by hysteroscopy or laparoscopy, or may involve inpatient hospitalization.

Surgery for removal of an entire ovary.

An uncommon but not rare complication of fertility treatments in which a woman’s ovaries become enlarged and she experiences significant fluid shifts into body cavities, such as the abdomen.

Use of medicines to stimulate oocyte (egg) development and release.

Surgery for removal of a polyp; in gynecology, usually meaning a uterine/endometrial or a cervical polyp.

Surgery for removal of a fallopian tube.

Surgery for removal of both a fallopian tube and ovary.

Use of injectible fertility medicines to stimulate multiple oocyte (egg) development and release. Similar to ovulation induction, but using more powerful drug regimens.

A procedure in which a special catheter and wire is used to open a blocked fallopian tube; can sometimes be done under x-ray guidance, but usually requires a minor (outpatient) surgical procedure to complete.

A tubal anastomosis, see BTA.

The ovary and fallopian tube.

Antibodies to male sperm; may be present in either males (direct) or females (indirect.)

A type of functional (normally occurring) ovarian cyst; responsible for making the hormone progesterone after ovulation.

An ovarian follicle, containing a maturing egg that has been selected to ovulate in any given cycle.

A fertilized egg from conception to the eighth embryonic week.

A common disease in women, involving growth of abnormal tissue that resembles uterine lining (endometrium) but outside the uterus in the pelvis. Common locations include the ovaries and the surfaces behind the uterus. Believed to be involved in both infertility and in chronic pelvic pain.

The primary form of estrogen in females, also present in smaller quantities in males. This hormone is produced in women by cells within the developing follicles in the ovary (see Granulosa Cell.) Measuring levels helps determine progressive growth of the follicles during superovulation.

Follicle Stimulating Hormone, a pituitary peptide hormone that stimulates the ovary to develop oocytes within follicles in preparation for ovulation.

A benign (non-cancerous) tumor growing out of the uterine muscle and connective tissue. May be involved in infertility, pregnancy loss, and dysfunctional uterine bleeding.

A fluid-filed sac in the ovary that contains a developing egg and eventually releases it.

A pituitary hormone in both males and females, either FSH or LH.

A kind of cell, which lines the ovarian follicles, and is responsible for producing estrogen.

Roughly 90-95% of normal couples will conceive within 12 months; therefore, by definition, the inability of a couple to conceive a pregnancy after one year of unprotected sexual intercourse.

A disorder in which the body does not respond to normal levels of insulin, and so patients have higher-than-normal insulin levels in blood to maintain their blood sugars. Common in women with PCOS, and considered by many to be a risk factor for developing Type II diabetes.

See fibroid.

A cause of recurring pregnancy loss, in which deficient progesterone production after ovulation leads to an immature or underdeveloped uterine ling. Diagnosis is classically defined by two endometrial biopsies. Generally accepted as a cause of pregnancy loss, the role of luteal phase defect in infertility remains somewhat unclear.

Luteinizing Hormone is a pituitary peptide hormone that increases in the middle of the cycle to trigger ovulation - the release of an egg – in females. LH is responsible for testosterone production in men.

The female gamete, found within follicles in the ovary until ovulation.

A very general term referring to fluid-filled sacs in the ovary. An ovarian follicle (“follicle cyst”) or corpus luteum (“luteal cyst”) is examples of normally-occurring ovarian cysts.

Release of an egg from a follicle in the ovary, involving rupture and collapse of the remaining follicle.

An adherence or “sticking together” of organs including the reproductive organs and/or intestines, usually as a result of inflammation. I lay terms this is often called “scarring” although it is not, strictly speaking, identical to scar. Ranges form mild to extreme, can be a significant anatomic cause of infertility in women.

A common cause of ovulatory problems, infertility, and metabolic problem in women. The syndrome is characterized by absent or infrequent menstrual cycles, often with elevated testosterone levels and enlarged polycystic ovaries on ultrasound. In addition to irregular cycles, many women complain of acne, unwanted hair growth, and often weight gain.

Often a cervical polyp, uterine polyp, or endometrial polyp.

A steroid hormone found in both sexes, secreted by the ovary (see Corpus Luteum) in females after ovulation has occurred. It prepares the lining of the uterus for implantation of a fertilized egg and is essential for maintaining an ongoing pregnancy.

A pituitary peptide hormone, responsible for milk production in women among other functions. May be elevated due to other hormonal disorders, for example, an underactive thyroid. Elevations in prolactin can disrupt normal ovulation.

Size and shape of individual sperm. Normal sperm have an enzyme-coated head, middle piece, and whip-like tail.

The ability of sperm to swim and move progressively. Motility is one of the most important determining factors in the sperm's ability to fertilize an egg.

The predominant sex-steroid hormone in men; also present in smaller amounts in normal women. Can cause female ovulatory problems, for example in Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome.

Thyroid Stimulating Hormone, a pituitary peptide hormone, released by the pituitary gland to control production of thyroid hormone. Measurements of TSH levels in blood are used to test thyroid function, which is necessary for normal ovulation.