Stepping into the world of fertility and conception can be like landing in a foreign country with no idea of the language. Your doctor and nurses will do their best to explain new words and concepts to you but it can be hard to take it all in plus you’ll also come across acronyms and abbreviations on the internet, in forums and when speaking with other people trying to conceive (TTC)...
To help you out we’ve compiled a list of the top 100 fertility acronyms and slang and briefly outlined what they mean.
Fertility Acronyms (Alphabetically)
2WW: 2-week wait (the often challenging time between ovulation if you are TTC naturally – or embryo transfer if you are undergoing IVF – and your pregnancy outcome)
A Acronyms
AC: Assisted Conception
AF: Aunt Flow (period or menstruation)
AO: Anovulatory (this means no ovulation is occurring)
ART: Assisted Reproductive Technology
ASA: Anti-sperm Antibody (proteins in blood, vaginal fluids or semen that damage or kill sperm)
BBT: Basal Body Temperature (the lowest body temperature reached during rest or sleep)
B Acronyms
BCP: Birth Control Pills
BD: Baby Dance (A playful way to describe sex)
Beta: hCG pregnancy test (a blood test to assess the level of beta hCG in the blood – an accurate way of assessing for pregnancy)
BFN: Big Fat Negative (a negative pregnancy test outcome)
BFP: Big Fat Positive (a positive pregnancy test outcome)
BMS: Baby-Making Sex
BW: Blood Work
C Acronyms
C#: Cycle number
CD: Cycle Day (which day you’re up to in your menstrual cycle)
CGH: Comparative Genomic Hybridization (a DNA diagnostic technique which compares an embryo’s chromosomes with a standard set to check for chromosome abnormalities)
Clomid: A medication used to jumpstart ovulation
CM: Cervical Mucus (also known as cervical fluid, it is fluid produced by your cervix as you approach ovulation due to increased oestrogen)
CP: Cervical Position
CS: Caesarean Section
CVS: Chorionic Villi Sampling (a test during pregnancy which checks the baby for some genetic abnormalities such as Down syndrome)
D Acronyms
DD: Dear Daughter
DE: Donor Egg
DH: Dear Husband
DP: Dear Partner
DPO: Days Post-Ovulation
DPR: Days Post-Retrieval
DPT: Days Post-Transfer
DS: Dear Son
DS: Donor Sperm
E Acronyms
ED: Egg Donor
EDD: Estimated due date
Endo: Endometriosis
Endo: Endometrium (The lining of the uterus)
EPO: Evening Primrose Oil
EPT: Early Pregnancy Test
EPU: Egg Pick-Up (procedure to collect eggs from the ovaries – also called OPU)
ET: Embryo Transfer
EWCM: Egg White Cervical Mucus (fertile cervical mucus)
F Acronyms
FA: Freeze All
FET: Frozen Embryo Transfer
FF: Fertility Friend
FMU: First Morning Urine
FP: Follicular Phase (the part of the monthly cycle before ovulation)
FRER: First Response Early Result (early pregnancy test)
FS: Frozen Sperm
FS: Fertility Specialist
FSA: Fertility Society of Australia
FSBU: Frozen Sperm Back Up
FSH: Follicle Stimulating Hormone (helps control the menstrual cycle and production of eggs by the ovaries)
G Acronyms
GnRH: Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone (a hormone responsible for triggering the release of FSH)
H Acronyms
HcG: Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hormone detected by pregnancy tests)
HPT: Home Pregnancy Test
HSG: Hysterosalpingogram (a fertility test where fluid is run through the fallopian tubes to check for blockages)
I Acronyms
IC: Internet Cheapie(s) (a pregnancy test)
IC: Incompetent Cervix
IC: Intercourse
ICSI: Intra-Cytoplasmic Sperm Injection (a type of Assisted Reproductive Technology)
IMSI: Intracytoplasminc Morphologically Selected Sperm Injection (a type of Assisted Reproductive Technology)
IUI: Intrauterine Insemination (a type of Assisted Reproductive Technology)
IVF: In Vitro Fertilization (a type of Assisted Reproductive Technology)
L Acronyms
LH: Luteinizing Hormone (a hormone that triggers ovulation)
LO: Little One
LO: Left Ovary
LP: Luteal Phase (basically the 2-week wait)
LSP: Low Sperm Count
M Acronyms
MESA: Microsurgical Epididymal Sperm Aspiration (a procedure to retrieve sperm directly from the epididymal tubule in instances when the man has an unfixable blockage)
Metformin: a diabetes medicine sometimes used for lowering insulin and blood sugar levels in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
MF: Male Factor (the reason someone is having difficulties TTC)
M/C: Miscarriage
N Acronyms
NT: Nuchal Translucency scan (an ultrasound done between 11 and 14 weeks of pregnancy to test for chromosomal abnormality – usually Down syndrome)
O Acronyms
OHSS: Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome (a possible complication from some forms of fertility medication)
OI: Ovulation Induction (fertility treatment that induces ovulation to occur)
OPK: Ovulation Prediction Kit
OPU: Oocyte Pick-Up (a procedure to collect eggs from the ovaries also called EPU)
OT: Ovulation Tracking (fertility treatment that tracks – through blood tests and ultrasounds – someone’s menstrual cycle and the best time to TTC)
OV: Oocyte Vitrification (snap freezing eggs)
OW: Oocyte Warming (thawing eggs to fertilise)
P Acronyms
PCO: Polycystic Ovaries
PCOS: Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (a condition where follicles in a woman’s ovaries stall during development and form cysts instead of releasing an egg)
PESA: Percutaneous Epididymal Sperm Aspiration (a technique used to extract sperm when the man has a blockage of the vas deferens)
PGD: Pre-implantation Genetic Diagnosis
PICSI: Physiological Intracytoplasmic Sperm (a technique used in ICSI to help select the healthiest sperm)
POAS: Pee On A Stick
R Acronyms
RE: Reproductive Endocrinologist (Fertility Specialist)
RO: Right Ovary
S Acronyms
SA: Sperm/Semen Analysis
SD: Sperm Donor
SIUI: Stimulated IUI (like IUI but given medications (FSH) to increase the response of the ovaries to produce a follicle)
SMU: Second Morning Urine
SURR: Surrogate
T Acronyms
TD: Treatment Day (referring to what day in the IVF treatment you are)
TB: Testicular Biopsy
TESE: Testicular Sperm Extraction
TTC: Trying To Conceive
Trigger: hCG shot given to induce ovulation
TSH: Thyroid Stimulating Hormone
WFP: Wait For Period
W Acronyms
WIC: Where In Cycle (referred to when someone is unsure what day in their menstrual cycle they are and require a blood test to determine this).
