Infertility Acronyms
We know that when navigating infertility you will come across many acronyms that are foreign to you. Don’t get overwhelmed. Here is a guide to help you through it all.
| ACA | Anti-cardiolipin Antibody |
| ACTH | Adrenal Corticotropic Hormone |
| AF | Aunt Flo, After Flo, (Period, or Menstrual Cycle) |
| AH | Assisted Hatching |
| AI | Artificial/Assisted Insemination |
| ANA | Anti-nuclear Antibodies |
| APA | Anti-phospholipid Antibodies |
| APTT | Activated Partial Thromboplastin Time |
| ART | Assisted Reproductive Technology |
| ASA | Anti-sperm Antibody |
| ASRM | American Society of Reproductive Medicine |
| BA | Baby Aspirin |
| BBT | Basal Body Temperature |
| BCP | Birth Control Pills |
| BD | Baby Dance, a reference to having intercourse during your most fertile days |
| Beta | Pregnancy test that measures HCG hormone levels |
| BFN | Big Fat Negative (Pregnancy Test) |
| BFP | Big Fat Positive (Pregnancy Test) |
| BW | Bloodwork |
| CASA | Computer-assisted Semen Analysis |
| CB | Cycle Buddy, someone who either started the cycle, ovulated, or is planning to take a pregnancy test around the same time as you. |
| CBAVD | Congenital Bilateral Absence of Vas Deferens |
| CCCT, CCT | Clomiphene Citrate Challenge Test (Clomid Challenge Test) |
| CD | Cycle Day, a reference to the days of a treatment cycle or any menstrual cycle when trying to conceive |
| CL | Cover Line, refers to a line drawn on a body basal temperature chart. Temperatures “above the cover line” occur after ovulation. |
| CM | Cervical Mucus |
| CMV | Cytomegalovirus |
| CNM | Certified Nurse Midwife |
| COH | Controlled Ovarian Hyperstimulation |
| CP | Cervical Position |
| CY# | Cycle Number, since TTC or since starting a treatment. |
| CVS | Chorionic Villus Sampling |
| D&C | Dilation & Curettage |
| D&E | Dilation & Evacuation |
| DE | Donor Eggs |
| DES | Diethylstillbestrol |
| DHEAS | Dihydroepiandrosterone |
| DI | Donor Insemination, as you would have with IUI along with a sperm donor |
| DIPI | Direct Intra-peritoneal Insemination |
| DOR | Diminished Ovarian Reserve |
| DPO | Days Post-Ovulation |
| DPR | Days Post-Retrieval |
| DPT | Days Post-Transfer |
| DP3DT | Days Post 3-Day Transfer |
| DP5DT | Days Post 5-Day Transfer |
| E2 | Estradiol |
| EB, EMBEDD | Endometrial BiopsyEstimated Due Date |
| ENDO | Endometriosis |
| EPT | Early Pregnancy Test |
| ER | Egg Retrieval |
| ET | Egg Transfer |
| ETA | Embryo Toxicity Assay |
| ETF | Embryo Toxicity Factor |
| EWCM | Egg White Cervical Mucus, or the most fertile kind of cervical mucus |
| FBG | Fasting Blood Glucose |
| FE | Frozen Embryo |
| FET | Frozen Embryo Transfer, referring to an IVF cycle using previously frozen embryos that have been thawed and then transferred |
| FI | Fasting Insulin |
| FF | Fertility Friend, FertilityFriend.com |
| FHR | Fetal Heart Rate |
| FP | Follicular Phase |
| FM | Fertility Mucus or Fertility Monitor |
| FMU | : First Morning Urine |
| Frostie | Frozen Embryo |
| FSH | Follicle-Stimulating Hormone |
| FTTA | Fertile Thoughts to All |
| GD | Gestational Diabetes |
| GI | Gastrointestinal |
| GIFT | Gamete Intrafallopian Transfer |
| GnRH | Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone |
| GP | General Practitioner |
| GS | Gestational Surrogate |
| GTT | Glucose Tolerance Test |
| hCG, HCG | Human Chorionic Gonadotropin |
| hMG, HMG | Human Menopausal Gonadotropin |
| HOM | Higher Order Multiples (a pregnancy with three or more babies) |
| HPT | Home Pregnancy Test |
| HRT | Hormone Replacement Therapy |
| HSC | Hysteroscopy |
| HSG | Hysterosalpingogram |
| HX | History |
| IBT | Immunobead Binding Test |
| ICI | Intra-cervical Insemination |
| ICSI | Intra-cytoplasmic Sperm Injection |
| IF or IFer | Infertility |
| IGTT | Insulin and Glucose Tolerance Test |
| INCIID | International Council on Infertility Information Dissemination |
| IM | Intramuscular injections |
| IOR | Immature Oocyte Retrieval |
| IR | Insulin Resistant |
| ITI | Intra-tubal Insemination |
| IUGR | Intra-uterine Growth Restriction |
| IUI | Intra-uterine Insemination |
| IVC | Intra-vaginal Culture |
| IVF/ET | In Vitro Fertilization and Embryo Transfer |
| IVF/IVF-DE | In Vitro Fertilization/IVF with Donor Eggs |
| IVIg | Intravenous Immunoglobulin |
| LAD | Leukocyte Antibody Detection Assay |
| LAP | Laparoscopy |
| LH | Luteinizing Hormone |
| LIT | Leukocyte Immunization Therapy |
| LMP | Last Menstrual Period (start date) |
| LP | Luteal-Phase |
| LPD | Luteal-Phase Defect |
| LSP | Low Sperm Count |
| LUF, LUFS | Luteinized Unruptured Follicle Syndrome |
| MAI | Miscarriage after Infertility |
| M/C. | Miscarriage |
| MESA | Microsurgical Epididymal Sperm Aspiration |
| MF | Male Factor |
| NORIF | Non-stimulated Oocyte Retrieval In (office) Fertilization |
| NSA | Non-Surgical Sperm Aspiration |
| O, OV | Ovulation |
| OC | Oral Contraceptives |
| OD | Ovum Donor, Ovulatory Dysfunction |
| OHSS | Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome |
| OPK or OPT | Ovulation Predictor Kit or Test |
| OTC | Over the Counter |
| P4. Prog | Progesterone |
| PAI-1 | Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor-1 |
| PAF | Pregnancy After Infertility |
| PCO | Polycystic Ovaries |
| PCOD | Polycystic Ovarian Disease |
| PCOS | Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome |
| PCP | Primary Care Physician |
| PCT | Post Coital Test |
| PESA | Percutaneous Epididymal Sperm Aspiration |
| PG | Pregnant |
| PGD | Pre-implantation Genetic Diagnosis |
| PI | Primary Infertility |
| PID | Pelvic Inflammatory Disease |
| PIO | Progesterone In Oil |
| PLI | Paternal Leukocyte Immunization |
| PMN | Perinatal Mortality |
| PNV | Prenatal Vitamin |
| POAS | Pee On A Stick (home pregnancy test) |
| POC | Products of Conception |
| POF | Premature Ovarian Failure |
| POI | Primary Ovarian Insufficiency |
| PROM | Premature Rupture of Membranes |
| PZD | Partial Zona Dissection |
| RE | Reproductive Endocrinologist |
| R-hFSH | Recombinant Human Follicle Stimulating Hormone |
| RI | Reproductive Immunologist |
| RIP | Reproductive Immunophenotype |
| RPL | Recurrent Pregnancy Loss |
| RSM | Recurrent Spontaneous Abortion |
| RX | Prescription |
| SA | Semen Analysis |
| SART | Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology |
| SB | Stillborn |
| SCORIF | Stimulated Cycle Oocyte Retrieval |
| SHG, SonoHSG | Sonohysterogram |
| SI | Secondary Infertility |
| SM | Surrogate Mother |
| SP | Sperm Count |
| SPA | Sperm Penetration Assay |
| SPALS | Subsequent Pregnancy After a Loss Support |
| STD | Sexually Transmitted Disease |
| STIMS | Stimulating Hormones (usually referring to injectable fertility drugs) |
| SubQ | Subcutaneous Injection |
| SUZI | Sub-zonal Insertion |
| T1 | Type 1 Diabetic – Juvenile Diabetes |
| T2 | Type 2 Diabetic – Insulin Resistant, Adult Onset |
| T4 | Thyroxine (Thyroid Hormone) |
| TEBG | Testosterone-Estradiol Binding Globulin |
| TDI | Therapeutic Donor Insemination |
| TESA | Testicular Sperm Aspiration |
| TESE | Testicular Sperm Extraction |
| TDI | Therapeutic Sperm Extraction |
| TET | Tubal Embryo Transfer |
| TL | Tubal Ligation |
| TORCH | Toxoplasmosis, Other, Rubella, Cytomegalovirus & Herpes Test |
| TR | Tubal Reversal |
| TRH | Thyroid Releasing Hormone |
| TSH | Thyroid Stimulating Hormone |
| TTC/TTCAR | Trying To Conceive/ Trying to Conceive After Reversal |
| TWW/2WW | Two Week Wait |
| TX | Treatment |
| US | Ultrasound |
| UTI | Urinary Tract Infection |
| V | Vasectomy |
| VR | Vasectomy Reversal |
| WNL | Within Normal Limits |
| ZIFT | Zygote Intra-fallopian Transfer |
