Frequently Asked Questions about Infertility

Q1. What is Fertility?

A1. Fertility is when a couple has the ability to conceive and have children through normal sexual activity.

Q2. What is Infertility?

A2. Infertility is clinically defined as an inability to conceive and carry a full term pregnancy after a year of unprotected sexual intercourse for a woman less than 35yrs, or 6 months for a woman over the age of 35.

Q3. What is Fertility Care?

A3. It is the care that a patient gets when he or she undergoes fertility treatments.

Q4. What are Fertility Clinics?

A4. Medical clinics that assist couples who want to become parents but for medical reasons have been unable to achieve this goal via the natural course.

Q5. Who are Fertility Physicians?

A5. The physicians who work with couples undergoing fertility treatments.

Q6. Who are Fertility Specialists?

A6. A physician who specializes in the practice of fertility is known as a Fertility Specialist. The American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology certifies a sub-specialty of OB-GYN’s who receive extra training in endocrinology and infertility. Those physicians who acquire this specialty are known as Fertility Specialists.

Q7. What is Fertility Treatment?

A7. The procedures that the couples undergo in order to treat their infertility

Are called fertility treatments. IVF, ICSI, IUI are some of the common fertility treatments that are performed while treating a patient with infertility.

Q8. What is FSH (Follicle Stimulating Hormone)?

A8. FSH is a hormone secreted by the pituitary gland responsible for stimulating follicular development during the first half of the menstrual cycle.

Q9. What is Follicular Phase?

A9. Follicular Phase is the first half (pre-ovulation) portion of the woman's menstrual cycle. Marked by growth of the endometrial lining of the uterus, maturing of eggs in follicles and elevated estrogen levels.

Q10. What is G.I.F.T (Gamete Intra Fallopian Transfer)?

A10. A procedure whereby eggs are surgically 'harvested' from a woman and combined with a washed specimen of husband or donor sperm and placed in the fallopian tubes.

Q11. What is hCG (Human Chorionic Gonadotropin) ?

A11. The pregnancy hormone often used to stimulate ovulation by injection at mid-cycle in controlled ovarian hyperstimulation cycles.

Q12. What is H.E.P.A.?

A12. Hamster Egg Penetration Assay: a test of semen quality to check what percentage of hamster eggs in a petri dish is penetrated by sperm. This test allows analysis of sperm motility and morphology.

Q13. What is Hysterosalpingogram (HSG)?

A13. A diagnostic image of pelvic organs through a radiopaque dye injected into the uterus and fallopian tubes. A common procedure conducted in initial pelvic evaluation.

Q14. What is Intra-Cytoplasmic Sperm Injection (I.C.S.I.)?

A14. ICSI is a breakthrough technique where a single sperm can be micro-surgically injected into the cytoplasm of an egg to develop into a fertilized embryo. This procedure has given new hope to men with poor semen quality or azoospermia.

Q15. What is In-Vitro Fertilization (I.V.F.)?

A15. A procedure whereby retrieved eggs are fertilized with washed semen in a petri dish outside of the body and re-implanted into the uterus after successful fertilization.

Q16. What is Intra Uterine Insemination (IUI)?

A16. IUI is a fertility treatment that involves placing specially washed sperm directly into a woman’s uterus through a small tube.

Q17. What is annovulation?

A17. When there is an absence of ovulation, the patient is said to have annovulation.

Q18. What is Assisted Reproductive Technologies?

A18. Assisted Reproductive Technologies is a generic term encompassing IVF, GIFT, ZIFT, ICSI, and many other technologies involving work with sperm and eggs in

An embryology laboratory.

Q19. What is Artificial Insemination?

A19. Deposition of sperm in vagina near cervix, often used in combination with ovulation drugs to improve timing and conditions for gamete interactions is called

Artificial insemination. It is now called DI for donor insemination.

Q20. What is Assisted Reproductive Technology?

A20. A medical procedure or treatment performed to help a woman achieve pregnancy.

ART includes in vitro fertilization (ivf), egg or embryo donation, and surrogate birth.

Q21. What is Azoospermia?

A21. Complete absence of sperm in semen is called azoospermia. It could be caused by reproductive tract blockage or lack of sperm production.

Q22. What is Basal Body Temperature (B.B.T)?

A22. Basal Body Temperature charts are used to predict time of ovulation. Biphasic charts are normal, with slight elevation of temperature in second half of cycle. Monphasic charts are abnormal, with relatively constant temperature.

Q23. What is Cervical Mucous?

A23. A somewhat sticky fluid covering the cervix that changes in consistency throughout the woman's menstrual cycle. During ovulation thick mucus becomes more watery and stringy, allowing passage of sperm.

Q24. What is Clomiphene Citrate?

A24. A common ovulation drug available under several commercial names such as Clomid and Serophene.

Q25. What is Clomid?

A25. This drug is a competitive inhibitor of estradiol. It blocks estrogen receptors in a part of the brain called the hypothalamus, which causes the hypothalamus to signal the pituitary gland to release more FSH (follicle stimulating hormone)

And LH (luteinizing hormone) into the bloodstream. The increased levels of FSH lead to the development of the follicle and egg which secretes more estrogen into the bloodstream.

Q26. What is Corpus Luteum?

A26. A glandular structure forming from the burst folliculler cyst upon ovulation. It is responsible for releasing progesterone in the second half of the menstrual cycle and to prepare the womb for implantation.

Q27. What is Dysmenorrhea?

A27. When there is abnormal pain during menstruation then that condition is called Dysmenorrhea.

Q28. What is Dypareunia?

A28. When there is pain during intercourse then that condition is called Dypareunia.

Q29. What is Ectopic Pregnancy?

A29. When an embryo gets implantation outside of the uterus, typically in the fallopian tube then that is called ectopic pregnancy.

Q30. What is Egg Retrieval?

A30. It is a surgical procedure to obtain eggs from follicles in the uterus for use in IVF/GIFT cycles. Usually involves ultrasound and a small needle passed though the top of the vagina.

Q31. What is Embryo Transfer?

A31. The process of placing fertilized eggs (embryos) back into the woman's uterus or fallopian tube.

Q32. What is Endometrial Biopsy?

A32. A procedure whereby a small sample of the uterine lining is removed and sent to pathology for evaluation is called endometrial biopsy

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Q33. What is Endometriosis?

A33. A condition where growth of endometrial tissues occurs in areas outside the uterus causing irritation, pain, adhesions, infertility and other pelvic

Abnormalities.

Q34. What is Estradiol?

A34. The female hormone produced by the ovary.

Q35. What is a Fibroid?

A35. A fibroid is a benign tumor of the uterine muscle; it is also called a Myoma.

Q36. What is Laparoscopy?

A36. A minimally invasive surgical procedure that allows examination of pelvic organs through a fiberoptic telescope (laparoscope).

Q37. What is Luteal Phase?

A37. The second half (post-ovulatory) of the woman's menstrual cycle, marked by elevated progesterone levels is called the Luteal Phase.

Q38. What is Luteinizing Hormone (L.H.)?

A38. Commonly called LH, a surge in this hormone triggers ovulation 14 days before the end of the woman's cycle.

Q39. What is Male Infertility?

A39. When infertility occurs in men it is called Male Infertility. About 40% of the cases are reported to be caused due to male infertility.

Q40. What is an Ovarian Cyst?

A40. A fluid filled sac growing in the ovaries. Often leads to ovulatory disorders.

Q41. What is Ovarial Hyperstimulation Syndrome?

A41. This condition causes the ovaries to be painfully sensitive to pressure due to swelling, and can result in complications that require hospitalization

And bed rest. More serious complications can occur, and they should be discussed with your physician before starting gonadotropin treatment.

Q42. What is Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome (OHSS/Hyperstim)?

A42. A rare but potentially serious complication during ovarian stimulation in which ovaries develop too many follicles.

Q43. What is Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome ( P.C.O.S.)?

A43. PCOS is a condition whereby the patient suffers from multiple cysts in her ovaries. It often corresponds with elevated levels of androgens. It is called Polycystic Ovarian Disease.

Q44. What is Post Coital Test (P.C.T)?

A44. An analysis of cervical mucus within a few hours of coitus to inspect interaction between sperm and cervical mucus

Q45. What is Progesterone?

A45. A hormone produced predominantly during the second half of the menstrual cycle to facilitate the development of the uterine lining so the embryo can implant.

Q46. Who is a Reproductive Endocrinologist (RE)?

A46. An RE is an obstetrician/gynecologist who specializes in the practice of fertility. The American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology certifies a subspecialty for those who receive extra training in reproductive endocrinology (the study of hormones) and infertility.

Q47. What is a Resistant Ovary?

A47. An ovary that fails to respond to FSH stimulation.

Q48. What is Semen Analysis?

A48. A test to assess sperm quality based upon the following characteristics: ejaculate volume, appearance, consistency, sperm morphology, sperm motility, sperm concentration and antibody presence.

Q49. What is Sperm Morphology?

A49. The shape of ejaculated sperm is called Sperm Morphology.

Q50. What is Spermatogenesis?

A50. The process of sperm production is called Spermatogenesis.

Q51. What is Testicular Biopsy?

A51. A minor surgical procedure typically performed by an urologist to ascertain the cause of testicular malfunction.

Q52. What is Vasectomy?

A52. Male sterilization via surgical obstruction of the vas deferens tubes.

Q53. What is Zygote Intra-Fallopian Transfer (Z.I.F.T.)?

A53. ZIFT is a procedure whereby retrieved eggs are fertilized outside of the woman's body and returned to her fallopian tubes.