Infertility Glossary: A
Description
This article is from the Health Articles series.
Infertility Glossary: A
Abortion
Spontaneous: A pregnancy loss during the first twenty weeks of gestation.
Habitual: When a woman has had three or more miscarriages.
Incomplete: An abortion after which some tissue remains inside the uterus. A D&C must be performed to remove the tissue and prevent complications.
Missed: The fetus dies in the uterus but there is no bleeding or cramping. A D&C will be needed to remove the fetal remains and prevent complications.
Therapeutic: A procedure used to terminate a pregnancy before the fetus can survive on its own.
Threatened: Spotting or bleeding that occurs early in the pregnancy. May progress to spontaneous abortion.
ACTH
A hormone produced by the pituitary gland to stimulate the adrenal glands. Excessive levels may lead to fertility problems.
Adhesion
Scar tissue occurring in the abdominal cavity, fallopian tubes, or inside the uterus. Adhesions can interfere with transport of the egg and implantation of the embryo in the uterus.
Adrenal Androgens
Male hormones produced by the adrenal gland which, when found in excess, may lead to fertility problems in both men and women. Excess androgens in the woman may lead to the formation of male secondary sex characteristics and the suppression of LH and FSH production by the pituitary gland. Elevated levels of androgens may be found in women with polycystic ovaries, or with a tumor in the pituitary gland, adrenal gland, or ovary. May also be associated with excess prolactin levels.
AID(Artificial Insemination Donor) or AIH (Artificial Insemination Homologous/Husband)
See Artificial Insemination, Donor Insemination, Intrauterine Insemination (IUI).
Amenorrhea
The cessation of the menstrual periods for six months or more at a time. Primary Amenorrhea afflicts a woman who has never menstruated. Secondary Amenorrhea afflicts a woman who has menstruated at one time, but who has not had a period for six months or more.
Andrologist
A physician-scientist who performs laboratory evaluations of male fertility. May hold a Ph.D. degree instead of an M.D. Usually affiliated with a fertility treatment center working on in vitro fertilization.
Anovulation
The failure to ovulate; ovulatory failure.
Antibodies
Chemicals made by the body to fight or attack foreign substances entering the body. Normally they prevent infection; however, when they attack the sperm or fetus, they causeinfertility. Sperm antibodies may be made by either the man or the woman.
Antisperm Antibodies
Antibodies are produced by the immune system to fight off foreign substances,like bacteria. Antisperm antibodies attach themselves to sperm and inhibit movement and their ability to fertilize.
Artificial Insemination (AI)
Placing sperm into the vagina, uterus or fallopian tubes through artificial means instead of by coitus - usually injected through a catheter or cannula after being washed. This procedure is used for both donor (AID) and husband's (AIH) sperm. This technique is used to overcome sexual performance problems, to circumvent sperm-mucus interaction problems, to maximize the potential for poor semen, and for using donor sperm. See Intrauterine Insemination.
Artificial Spermatocoele
An artificial, surgically created pouch used to collect sperm from men with irreversible tubal blockage.
Asherman's Syndrome
A condition where the uterine walls adhere to one another. Usually caused by uterine inflammation.
Assisted Reproductive Technology ( ART)
Several procedures employed to bring about conception without sexual intercourse, including IUI, IVF, GIFT and ZIFT.
Asthenozoospermia
Low sperm motility.
Azozoospermia
Semen containing no sperm, either because the testicles cannot make sperm or because of blockage in the reproductive tract.
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