WHAT DOES… ACTUALLY MEAN?

The following is a list of explanations of the main medical terms relating to the unfulfilled wish to have a child, infertility diagnosis and fertility treatment.

ABORTION miscarriage up to the 24th week of pregnancy

ANDROGENE Männliche Hormone

ANDROGENS male hormones

ANTIBODY part of the body’s immune defence

ASCITES fluid in the abdomen

BASAL TEMPERATURE body temperature measured in the morning on waking before getting up

BASAL TEMPERATURE body temperature measured in the morning on waking before getting up

BLASTOCYST advanced stage of division of an early embryo

CERVICAL SECRETION cervical mucus

CERVIX small canal between the uterus and the vagina

CHLAMYDIA a common bacterial infection of the genitals that can lead to chronic inflammation

CHROMOSOMES carriers of the genetic material (genes)

CORPUS LUTEUM a yellow structure that develops from the remains of the follicle after ovulation and produces oestrogen and progesterone

DIAGNOSTICS exam for the detection of diseases

DIAPHRAGM contraceptive in the form of a plastic cap that covers the cervix and prevents sperm from entering the uterus

DOWNREGULATION reduction or prevention of the release of hormones such as FSH and LH (see below) from the pituitary gland by administering GnRH analogues or GnRH antagonists (see below)

EMBRYO term for the fertilised cell after the fusion of the pronuclei up to the third month of pregnancy

EMBRYO TRANSFER process whereby an embryo is placed in the uterus following fertilisation outside the body

ENDOCRINOLOGY study of the effects of hormones

ENDOMETRIOSIS growth of tissue similar to the lining of the uterus on internal structures or organs outside the uterus

ENDOMETRIUM uterine mucosa

EXTRAUTERINGRAVIDITÄT (EUG) Eileiterschwangerschaft, Bauchhöhlenschwangerschaft

FERTILISATION fusion of female and male cells to form a single organism

FERTILITÄT Fruchtbarkeit, Fortpflanzung

FOETUS the unborn child after the end of the third month of pregnancy

FIMBRIAL FUNNEL an opening of the fallopian tube through

FOLLICLE fluid-filled sac in which the egg cell develops

FOLLICULTURE PUNCTURE Suction of follicular fluid to obtain eggs

FOLLICLE STIMULATING HORMONE (FSH) hormone produced in the pituitary gland that controls the growth and development of egg and sperm cells

GAMETES germ cells (egg and sperm cells)

CORPUS LUTEUM

GENE genetic make-up

PREGNANCY Pregnancy

GnRH see GONADOTROPIN-RELEASING-HORMONE

GnRH AGONIST drug that acts like GnRH and firstly empties the pituitary gland, but then suppresses the further release of FSH and LH

GnRH ANTAGONIST drug that blocks the effect of GnRH in the pituitary gland, thereby preventing the release of FSH and LH

GONADOTROPIN-RELEASING-HORMONE (GnRH) hormone produced in the hypothalamus that causes the release of FSH and LH in the pituitary gland

HORMONE the body’s own signalling substances

HUMAN CHORIONGONADOTROPINE (hCG) pregnancy hormone that maintains luteal function in the first weeks of pregnancy; as a medication it is used to trigger ovulation

HYPOPHYSE Hirnanhangsdrüse

HYPOTHALAMUS Part of the diencephalon, higher-level hormone control gland, regulates the function of the pituitary gland and the menstrual cycleHYPOPHYSIS Pituitary gland

ICSI Intrazytoplasmatische Spermiuminjektion, Injektion einer Samenzelle in eine Eizelle

IDIOPATHIC STERILITY unexplained infertility with no evidence of physical or psychological causes

IMMUNOLOGICAL STERILITY infertility caused by the body’s own defence reaction

IMMUNE SYSTEM the body’s defence against diseases

IMPLANTATION process whereby an embryo attaches to the lining of the uterus

INSEMINATION injection of sperm cells (sperm) into the vagina, uterine cavity or fallopian tube

INTRATUBAR GAMETE TRANSFER (GIFT) placement of egg and sperm cells in the fallopian tube

IN-VITRO-FERTILISATION (IVF) artificial fertilisation outside the body, also referred to historically as test tube fertilisation – in vitro: Latin for “in glass”

CATHETER thin tube for insertion into organs of the body

CRYOPRESERVATION preservation of germ cells and tissue using deep freezing

CULTURE MEDIUM nutrient solution

LUTEINISING HORMONE (LH) released by the pituitary gland and leads to ovulation; in the testicles it promotes the production of male hormones

MESA microsurgical procedure to extract sperm from the epididymis

BENIGN MYOMAS muscle nodes of the uterus

OESTROGEN female sex hormone, partly produced in the follicle, which has a particular effect on the lining of the uterus, cervical mucus and the mammary gland

OVARYfemale organ that plays a crucial role in producing egg cells and hormones

OVULATION process whereby a mature egg is released from the ovary

PLACENTA temporary structure which provides the embryo with nutrition (metabolism and gas exchange)

POLYCYSTIC OVARY (PCO) syndrome whereby many small cysts form on the ovaries, usually associated with increased male hormones

PROGESTERONE (PRG) hormone produced by the corpus luteum that prepares the lining of the uterus for implantation and the maintenance of a pregnancy

PROLACTIN hormone produced by the pituitary gland, which is mainly responsible for milk production after birth, but also influences the menstrual cycle

SPERM/SPERMIUM Synonym for semen or sperm cell

SPERM ANTIBODIES the body’s own defences against sperm cells in men and/or women

SPERMIOGRAM analysis of semen quality, provides information on the number, motility and shape of sperm cells and allows conclusions to be drawn about the man’s fertility

STIMULATION inducement of the maturation of ovarian follicles, for example through hormones

STERILITY infertility, i.e. inability to impregnate or get pregnant

TESE Testicular Sperm Extraction, surgical removal of testicular tissue to obtain sperm

TESTOSTERONE male sex hormone that is involved in sperm formation and maturation and also acts on various tissues in women

TUBE fallopian tubes

UROLOGY branch of medical science that deals with the kidneys, urinary tract and male reproductive organs

UTERUS organ which contains and nurtures a foetus during pregnancy

VARICOCELE varicose vein on the testicle, which may lead to reduced sperm quality

CYST liquid-filled cavity