TTC, assisted reproduction and Infertility Acronyms

Why are there infertility and IVF acronyms?
Like any industry infertility, trying to conceive and assisted reproduction have created their own language of sorts to make communicating quicker. These are used in both communities, hobbyists and professional circles. They are predominantly used in written word but are becoming more and more popular in speech and face to face conversation.
Hence if you are just starting out on your fertility journey then you understand what these acronyms mean. When we use an acronym in an article we always try to define it on the first use, but like anyone we sometimes miss this because we are so comfortable with using them. So if you spot any on the website that you are unfamiliar with then please let us know so that we can amend it.
Infertility, trying to get pregnant and IVF all have their own language but with a lot of cross over.
I remember when I showed Nathan a post from one of my infertility supports groups he was having to ask me every few words what on earth something meant. He has since become an expert. They often read something like this.
My DH and I have been TTC for 14 cycles before being referred for IUI, unfortunately my I have LPD and this leads to AF coming at any time. Sadly IUI didn’t work for us, however on our first IVF cycle we got a beautiful 5AA Blasty and a BFP on 8dp5dt!
Without further ado let’s have a long list of Letters and words which probably don’t mean a lot to you if you’re reading this article.
AF: Stands for aunt flow i.e. your period
AH: Assisted Hatching
AI: Artificial Insemination
AMH: Anti-Mullerian Hormone (test for ovarian reserve)
ART: Assisted Reproductive Technology
ASA: Anti-sperm Antibody
ASRM: American Society of Reproductive Medicine
BA: 75mg Aspirin known as baby aspirin.
Baby Dust – Used in the infertility community to wish them luck in concieving
BBT: Basal Body Temperature
BCP: Birth Control Pills
BD: Means Sex to make a baby the initials mean baby dance.
Beta: The blood test to check for pregnancy which looks at the levels of hCG
BFN: Big Fat Negative – Negative pregnancy test
BFP: Big Fat Positive – Positive pregnancy test
B/W, b/w: Bloodwork
CASA: Computer-assisted Semen Analysis
CB: Cycle Buddy a friend going through a cycle at similar time to support one another
CCCT, CCT: Clomiphene Citrate Challenge Test (Clomid Challenge Test)
CD: Cycle Day
CF: Cystic Fibrosis
CM: Cervical Mucus – It changes depending on where you are in your menstrual cycle
CMV: Cytomegalovirus – a virus you have for life, which needs monitoring in pregnancy
COH: Controlled Ovarian Hyperstimulation
CP: Cervical Position
CT: CT Scan
D&C: Dilation & Curettage – A procedure which allows for the endometrial lining to be scraped
D&E: Dilation & Evacuation – Often used to extract the lining and an early foetus from the uterus
DE: Donor Eggs
DH: Dearest Husband
DI: Donor Husband
DIPI: Direct Intra-peritoneal Insemination
DOR: Diminished Ovarian Reserve – Low ovarian reserve means you are less likely to get pregnant
DPO: Days Post-Ovulation
DPR: Days Post-Retrieval
DPT: Days Post-Transfer
DW: Dear Wife
Dx: Diagnosis
E2: Estradiol – main active substance of Oestrogen
EB, EMB: Endometrial Biopsy
EG: Embryo Glue
ENDO: Endometriosis
EPT: Early Pregnancy Test
ER: Egg Retrieval
ET: Embryo Transfer
FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions
FBG: Fasting Blood Glucose
FI: Fasting Insulin
FF: Fertility Friend – This is a tracker
FHR: Foetal Heart Rate
FP: Follicular Phase of the menstrual cycle
FM: Fertility Mucus or Fertility Monitor you have to read the context to know which one.
Frostie: Frozen Embryo
FSH: Follicle-Stimulating Hormone
FTTA: Fertile Thoughts to All – A common sign off amongst the fertility community
GD: Gestational Diabetes (diabetes brought on due to pregnancy)
GI: Gastrointestinal (basically the stomach and digestive system)
GIFT: Gamete Intrafallopian Transfer
GnRH: Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone
GP: Doctor
GTT: Glucose Tolerance Test
HHCG, hcg: Human Chorionic Gonadotropin
HMG, hMG: Human Menopausal Gonadotropin
HPT: Home Pregnancy Test
HRT: Hormone Replacement Therapy
HSC: Hysteroscopy
HSG: Hysterosalpingogram
HX: History
HyCoSy: Hysterosalpingo Contrast Sonography
ICI: Intra-cervical Insemination (injection of sperm through the cervix into the uterus)
ICSI: Intra-cytoplamic Sperm Injection
IF: Infertility
IGTT: Insulin and Glucose Tolerance Test
IM: Intramuscular injections
IMSI – Intracytoplasmic Morphologically Selected Sperm Injection
IOR: Immature Oocyte Retrieval
IR: Insulin Resistant
ITI: Intra-tubal Insemination (insemination of sperm directly into the tubes)
IUGR: Intra-uterine Growth Restriction – Slow or restricted growth of the baby
IUI: Intra-uterine Insemination
IVC: Intra-vaginal Culture
IVF/ET: In Vitro Fertilization and Embryo Transfer
IVF: In Vitro Fertilization
IVIg: Intravenous Immunoglobulin – treatment used in reproductive immunology
LAD: Leukocyte Antibody Detection Assay – reproductive immunology test
LAH: Laser assisted hatching
LAP: Laparoscopy – surgical procedure to look inside your abdomen
LH: Luteinizing Hormone
LIT: Leukocyte Immunization Therapy – reproductive immunology treatment
LMP: The start date of your period
LP: Luteal-Phase:
LPD: Luteal-Phase Defect – problems with progesterone or endometrium in back end of your cycle
LSP: Low Sperm Count
LUF, LUFS: Luteinized Unruptured Follicle Syndrome
MAI: Miscarriage after Infertility
MC, m/c, misc.: Miscarriage
MESA: Microsurgical Epidiymal Sperm Aspiration – A type of surgical sperm extraction
MF: Male Factor
MFI: Male factor infertility
MRI: Magnetic Resonance Imaging
NK: Natural Killer Cells
NSA: Non-Surgical Sperm Aspiration – use of prostate stimulation to help ejaculation.
O, OV: Ovulation
OB/GYN: Obstetrician/Gynecologist
OC: Oral Contraceptives
OD: Ovum Donor, Ovulatory Dysfunction
OH – Other Half
OHSS: Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome
OPK: Ovulation Predictor Kit
OPT: Ovulation Predictor Test
OTC: Over the Counter
P4. Prog: Progesterone
PAF, PANFERT: Pregnancy After Infertility
PCO: Polycistic Ovaries
PCOD: Polycistic Ovarian Disease
PCOS: Polycistic Ovarian Syndrome
PESA: Percutaneous Epididymal Sperm Aspiration – another surgical sperm extraction method
PG: Pregnant
PGD: Pre-implantation Genetic Diagnosis
PGS -Pre-implantation Genetic Screening
PI: Primary Infertility – infertility without any previous children
PID: Pelvic Inflammatory Disease – sometimes known as prostatitis in men (Nathan has this).
PIO: Progesterone In Oil
PLI: Paternal Leukocyte Immunization
PMS: Pre-menstrual Syndrome
PMN: Perinatal Mortality – still birth or death in first week of life
POAS: Pee On A Stick
POI: Premature Ovarian Insufficiency – When you get low on eggs earlier than is natural
PZD: Partial Zona Dissection – a hole made in the membrane around the egg to help sperm penetrate.
RE: Reproductive Endocrinologist
R-hFSH: Recombinant Human Follicle Stimulating Hormone
RI: Reproductive Immunologist
ROS: Reactive Oxygen Species – charged oxygen containing substances also known as free radicals
RPL: Recurrent Pregnancy Loss
RSM: Recurrent Spontaneous Abortion
RX: Prescription
SA: Semen Analysis
S/B, s/b: Stillbirth
SC: Sperm concentration
SCORIF: Stimulated Cycle Oocyte Retrieval
SHG, SonoHSG: Sonohysterogram
SI: Secondary Infertility – infertility whilst trying to conceive subsequent children
SPA: Sperm Penetration Assay
SMob: Sperm mobility
SMo: Sperm Morphology
SPALS: Subsequent Pregnancy After a Loss Support
S/S: Signs/Symptoms
STD: Sexually Transmitted Disease
SubQ: Subcutaneous Injection
T1: Type 1 Diabetic
T2: Type 2 Diabetic
T4: Thyroxine
TEBG: Testosterone-Estradiol Binding Globulin
TDI: Therapeutic Donor Insemination
TESA: Testicular Sperm Aspiration
TET: Tubal Embryo Transfer – transfer of an embryo into the fallopian tubes
TLI – Time Lapse imaging of the embryo after fertilisation
TRH: Thyroid Releasing Hormone
TSH: Thyroid Stimulating Hormone
TTC: Trying To Conceive
TX: Treatment
US: Ultrasound
UTI: Urinary Tract Infection
V: Vasectomy
VR: Vasectomy Reversal
WBC: White Blood Count
WNL: Within Normal Limits
2WW – Two week wait (after ovulation) before confirming pregnancy
XdpXdt – X is a number so 5dp5dt means 5 days after a 5 day transfer used in IVF discussions
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