- Basal Body Temperature (BBT):
- The temperature of the woman, taken either orally or rectally, upon waking in the morning before any activity. Used to help determine ovulation.
- Bicornuate Uterus:
- A congential malformation of the uterus in which it appears to have two "horns " (cornu).
- Capacitation:
- The process by which sperm are altered (usually during their passage through the female reproductive tract) that gives them the capacity to penetrate and fertilize the ovum.
- Cervix:
- The lower section of the uterus which protrudes into the vagina.
- Child-free Living:
- A resolution to infertility in which the couple opts for a life-style without parenting, either temporarily or permanently.
- Chlamydia:
- A sexually transmitted disease that may cause impaired fertility.
- Chromosomes:
- Rod-shaped bodies in a cell's nucleus which carry the genes that convey hereditary characteristics. Made up of DNA.
- Cilia:
- Microscopic hair-like projections from the surface of a cell capable of beating in a coordinated fashion.
- Clitoris:
- The small erectile sex organ of the female, located in front of the vagina and similar to the penis of the male.
- Clomiphene Citrate:
- A synthetic drug used to stimulate the hypothalamus and pituitary gland to increase FSH and LH production. It is usually used to treat ovulatory failure due to hypothalamic pituitary dysfunction.
- Coitus:
- Sexual intercourse.
- Conception:
- The fertilization of a woman's egg by a man's sperm resulting in a new life.
- Congenital:
- A characteristic or defect present at birth. It is acquired during pregnancy but is not necessarily hereditary.
- Corpus Luteum:
- The special gland that forms in the ovary at the site of the released egg. This gland produces the hormone progesterone during the second half of the normal menstrual cycle.
- Cryobank:
- A place where tissues (i.e., sperm, oocytes, embryos) are stored in the frozen state.
- Cryopreservation (freezing):
- A procedure used to preserve (by freezing) and store embryos or gametes (sperm, oocytes).
- Cryptorchidism:
- Undescended testicles.
- Dilatation and curettage (D & C):
- Dilatation of the cervix to allow scraping of the uterine lining with an instrument (curette). This also a means to induce abortion in the first trimester of pregnancy.
- Dysgenesis:
- Faulty formation of any organ.
- Dysmenorrhea:
- Painful menstruation.
- Dyspareunia:
- Painful intercourse for either the woman or the man.
- Ectopic pregnancy:
- A pregnancy in which the fertilized egg implants anywhere but in the uterine cavity (usually in the fallopian tube, the ovary or the abdominal cavity).
- Egg (Oocyte) donation:
- Surgical removal of an egg from one woman for transfer into the fallopian tube or uterus of another woman.
- Ejaculation:
- The male orgasm during which approximately two to five milliters of semen (seminal fluid and sperm) are ejected from the penis.
- Embryo:
- The term used to describe the early stages of fetal growth, from conception to the eighth week of pregnancy.
- Embryo transfer:
- The introduction of an embryo into a woman's uterus after in vitro (or in vivo) fertilization.
- Endocrine system:
- The system of glands including the pituitary, thyroid, adrenals, testicles or ovaries.
- Endocrinologist:
- A doctor who specializes in diseases of the endocrine glands.
- Endometrial biopsy:
- The extraction of a small sample of tissue from the uterus for examination. Usually done to show evidence of ovulation.
- Endometriosis:
- The presence of endometrial tissue (the normal uterine lining) in abnormal locations such as the tubes, ovaries and peritoneal cavity, often causing painful menstruation and infertility.
- Endometrium:
- The mucous membrane lining the uterus.
- Endosalpinx:
- The tissue lining in the fallopian tube.
- Epididymis:
- An elongated organ in the male lying above and behind the testicles. It contains a highly convoluted canal, four to six meters in length, where, after production, sperm are stored, nourished and ripened for a period of several months.
- Erection:
- The enlarged, rigid state of the penis when sexually aroused.
- Estradiol (E2):
- A hormone released by developing follicles in the ovary. Plasma estradiol levels are used to help determine progressive growth of the follicle during ovulation induction.
- Estrogen:
- A class of female hormones, produced mainly by the ovaries from the onset of puberty until menopause which are also responsible for the development of secondary sexual characteristics in women.
© Dr. Aniruddha Malpani and Dr. Anjali Malpani www.drmalpani.com
Credits: How to Have a Baby: Overcoming Infertility
