Infertility Acronyms

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Bookmark this page so you can have a quick reference as you are using infertility forums. There are so many different acronyms used by both the online infertility community as well as medical providers. This is a list of mostly acronyms as well as a few infertility terms, like “Baby Dust” and “Stimming”.

#

  • 2WW: 2-Week Wait (between insemination and possible pregnancy)
  • 4WW: 4-Week Wait (between one insemination to the next one)
  • 47XXY: Klinefelter’s Syndrome
  • 5AA: Embryo grading. The number is the stage of the blastocyst and the letters reflect the quality of the inner mass and trophectoderm

A

  • ACA: Anticardiolipin Antibody
  • ACOG: American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
  • ACTH: Adrenocorticotropic Hormone
  • AF: Aunt Flo, After Flo, Period, or Menstrual Cycle
  • AFA: American Fertility Association
  • AH or AZH: Assisted Hatching
  • AHI: At-home Insemination
  • AHR: Assisted Human Reproduction
  • AI: Artificial/Assisted Insemination
  • AIH: Artificial Insemination from Husband
  • AMA: Advanced Maternal Age (35+ years old)
  • AMH: Anti-Müllerian hormone
  • ANA: Antinuclear Antibodies
  • AO: Anovulation
  • AOA or AVA: Anti-Ovarian Antibody
  • APA: Antiphospholipid Antibodies
  • APTT: Activated Partial Thromboplastin Time
  • ART: Assisted Reproductive Technology (e.g., IVF)
  • ASA: Antisperm Antibody
  • ASRM: American Society of Reproductive Medicine
  • ATA: Anti-thyroid Antibody
  • AWOL: A Woman on Lupron

B

  • BA: Baby Aspirin
  • Baby Dust: Like “fairy dust,” wishing someone good luck to become pregnant.
  • BBT: Basal Body Temperature
  • BCP or BC: Birth Control Pills
  • BD: Baby Dance (sex)
  • Beta: blood test that measures hCG level during pregnancy
  • BFN: Big Fat Negative
  • BFP: Big Fat Positive
  • BG: Blood Glucose
  • BMI: Body Mass Index
  • BMS: Baby-making Sex
  • BOB: Baby on the brain
  • BP: Blood Pressure
  • BPM: Beats Per Minute 
  • BSE: Breast Self-Exam
  • BT: Balanced Translocation
  • BV: Baby Vibes, wishing someone luck for pregnancy
  • BW or b/w: Bloodwork

C

  • C#: Cycle Number
  • CAD: “Carbohydrate Addict’s Diet“, book by Dr Rachael F Heller and Richard F. Heller
  • CAH: Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia
  • CASA: Computer-assisted Semen Analysis
  • CB: Cycle Buddy
  • CB or CBD: Clearblue or Clearblue Digital Pregnancy Test
  • CBAVD: Congenital Bilateral Absence of the Vas Deferens
  • CBC: Complete Blood Count or Childless by Choice
  • CBFM: Clearblue Fertility Monitor
  • CCCT, CCT: Clomiphene Citrate Challenge Test (Clomid Challenge Test)
  • CD: Cycle Day (i.e., written as in CD15)
  • CD56+: Natural Killer Cells
  • CF: Cystic Fibrosis or Cervical Fluid (consider the context to determine)
  • CL: Cover Line on body basal temperature chart
  • CM: Cervical Mucus, physical indicator of ovulation
  • CMV: Cytomegalovirus
  • CNM: Certified Nurse Midwife
  • CNBC: Childless Not By Choice
  • COH: Controlled Ovarian Hyperstimulation
  • COW: Curse of Womanhood (menstruation)
  • CP: Cervical Position or Chemical Pregnancy
  • CVS: Chorionic Villus Sampling

D

  • D&C: Dilation & Curettage
  • D&E: Dilation & Evacuation
  • DD: Dear Daughter or Darling Daughter
  • DE: Donor Eggs
  • DES: Diethylstilbestrol
  • DF: Dear Fiance or Darling Fiance
  • DH: Dear Husband or Darling Husband
  • DHEA: Dehydroepiandrosterone
  • DHEAS: Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate
  • DI: Donor Insemination
  • DIPI: Direct Intraperitoneal Insemination
  • DOR: Diminished Ovarian Reserve
  • DOST: Direct Oocyte-Sperm Transfer
  • DP: Dear partner or Darling Partner
  • DP3DT: Days Post 3-Day Transfer 
  • DP5DT: Days Post 5-Day Transfer
  • DPO: Days Post-Ovulation (5DPO = 5 Days Post-Ovulation)
  • DPR: Days Post-Retrieval
  • DPT: Days Post-Transfer
  • DS: Dear Son or Darling Son
  • DSD: Dear Stepdaughter or Darling Step Daughter
  • DSS: Dear Stepson or Darling Stepson
  • DTD: Do the Deed or Doing the Dance (sex)
  • DW: Dear Wife or Darling Wife
  • Dx: Diagnosis

E

  • E2: Estradiol
  • EB, EMB: Endometrial Biopsy
  • ED: Egg Donor
  • EDD: Estimated Due Date
  • ENDO: Endometriosis
  • EPO: Evening Primrose Oil
  • EPT: Early Pregnancy Test
  • ER: Egg Retrieval
  • ERA: Endometrial Receptivity Array Test
  • ET: Egg Transfer
  • ETA: Embryo Toxicity Assay
  • ETF: Embryo Toxicity Factor
  • EW, EWCM: Egg-white Cervical Mucus

F

  • F: Following a post to see other user’s responses
  • FBG: Fasting Blood Glucose
  • FE: Frozen Embryo
  • FET: Frozen Embryo Transfer
  • FF: Fertility Friend
  • FHR: Fetal Heart Rate
  • FI: Fasting Insulin
  • FIL: Father-in-Law
  • FP: Follicular Phase
  • FM: Fertility Mucus or Fertility Monitor
  • FMU: First morning urine (for pregnancy tests)
  • FRER or FRED: First Response Early Result or First Response Early Detection
  • Frostie: Frozen Embryo
  • FSH: Follicle-Stimulating Hormone
  • FT: Fallopian Tube or Fertile Thoughts
  • FTTA: Fertile Thoughts to All
  • FV: Fertile Vibes
  • FWW: 4-Week Wait (from one insemination to the next insemination)
  • FX: Fingers Crossed for positive pregnancy test

G

  • GC: Gestational Carrier
  • GD:Gestational Diabetes
  • GH: Growth Hormone
  • GI: Gastrointestinal
  • GIFT: Gamete Intrafallopian Transfer
  • GnRH: Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone
  • GP: General Practitioner
  • GS: Gestational Surrogate
  • GTT: Glucose Tolerance Test

H

  • HbA1c: Glycosylated Hemoglobin (also called Glycohemoglobin)
  • hCG, hcg: Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (pregnancy hormone)
  • HCP: Health Care Practitioner
  • HEPA: Hampster egg-penetration Assay
  • HFB: Hoping For Baby or HopingForBaby.com*
  • HGH: Human Growth Hormone (i.e., Omnitrope medication)
  • hMG, HMG: Human Menopausal Gonadotropin
  • HOM: High Order Multiples, three or more babies
  • HPT: Home Pregnancy Test
  • HRT: Hormone Replacement Therapy
  • HSC: Hysteroscopy
  • HSG: Hysterosalpingogram (test to see if whether fallopian tubes are blocked)
  • Hx: History
  • HYP: Hyperstimulation

I

  • IB: Implantation bleeding
  • IBT: Immunobead Binding Test
  • IC: Incompetent Cervix
  • ICI: Intracervical Insemination
  • ICSI: Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection
  • IF: Infertility
  • IGTT: Insulin and Glucose Tolerance Test
  • IM: Intramuscular injections
  • INCIID: International Council on Infertility Information Dissemination
  • IOR: Immature Oocyte Retrieval
  • IP: Intended Parent
  • IPS: Imaginary Pregnancy Symptoms, feeling pregnant when you are not
  • IR: Insulin Resistant
  • ISWTE: “It Starts with the Egg” by Rebecca Fett, a book about improving egg quality.
  • ITI: Intratubal Insemination
  • IUFD: Intrauterine Fetal Demise
  • IUGR: Intrauterine Growth Retardation
  • IUI: Intrauterine Insemination
  • IVC: Intra-vaginal Culture
  • IVF: In Vitro Fertilization
  • IVF/DE: IVF with Donor Eggs
  • IVF/ET: In Vitro Fertilization and Embryo Transfer
  • IVIg: Intravenous Immunoglobulin
  • IVM: In Vitro Maturation

L

  • LAC: Licensed Acupuncturist
  • LAD: Leukocyte Antibody Detection Assay
  • LAP: Laparoscopy
  • LH: Luteinizing Hormone, the hormone tested to track ovulation.
  • Line Eyes: When someone thinks they see two lines for a positive pregnancy test but they are unsure.
  • LIT: Leukocyte Immunization Therapy
  • LMP: Last Menstrual Period (beginning date)
  • LO: Love Olympics (sex)
  • LOR: Low Ovarian Reserve
  • LP: Luteal Phase
  • LPD: Luteal-Phase Defect
  • LSC: Low Sperm Count
  • LUF, LUFS: Luteinized Unruptured Follicle Syndrome

M

  • MAI: Miscarriage after Infertility
  • MC, m/c, misc.: Miscarriage
  • MESA: Microsurgical Epididymal Sperm Aspiration
  • MF: Male Factor
  • MFI: Male Factor Infertility
  • MFM: Maternal Fetal Medicine (high-risk pregnancy specialist)
  • MIFT: Micro Injection Fallopian Transfer
  • MIL: Mother-in-Law
  • MMR: Measles-Mumps-Rubella Vaccine
  • MRI: Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • MS: Morning Sickness
  • MTHFR: Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase, MTHFR gene mutation (genetic issue with how body processes folic acid)
  • MW: Midwife

N

  • NEST: Non-surgical Embryonic Selective Thinning
  • NHS: National Health Service, United Kingdom’s government funded and health care system
  • NI: Natural Insemination (sex)
  • NK: Natural Killer Cells (CD56+)
  • NORIF: Non-stimulated Oocyte Retrieval In (office) Fertilization
  • NP: Nurse Practitioner
  • NSA: Non-Surgical Sperm Aspiration
  • NTNP: Not Trying, Not Preventing

O

  • O, OV: Ovulation
  • OB: Obstetrician
  • OB/GYN: Obstetrician/Gynecologist
  • OC: Oral Contraceptives
  • OCP: Oral Contraceptive Pill
  • OD: Ovulatory Dysfunction or Ovum Donor
  • OH: Other half
  • OHSS: Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome
  • OPK: Ovulation Predictor Kit
  • OPT: Ovulation Predictor Test
  • OTC: Over the Counter
  • OW: Overweight

P

  • P4 or Prog: Progesterone
  • PA: Physician’s Assistant or Pelvic Adhesions 
  • PAI-1: Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor-1
  • PAF, PANFERT: Pregnancy After Infertility
  • PCAO: Polycystic Appearing Ovaries
  • PCO: Polycystic Ovaries
  • PCOD: Polycystic Ovarian Disease
  • PCOS: Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome
  • PCP: Primary Care Physician
  • PCT: Post-Coital Test
  • PE: Pre-Eclampsia
  • PESA: Percutaneous Epididymal Sperm Aspiration
  • PG: Pregnant
  • PGD: Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis
  • PGS: Preimplantation Genetic Screening
  • PI: Primary Infertility 
  • PID: Pelvic Inflammatory Disease
  • PIO: Progesterone In Oil
  • PLI: Paternal Leukocyte Immunization
  • PMS: Premenstrual Syndrome
  • PNM: Perinatal Mortality (miscarriage or stillbirth)
  • PNV: Prenatal Vitamin
  • POAS: Pee On A Stick
  • POC: Products of Conception
  • POF: Premature Ovarian Failure
  • POI: Primary Ovarian Insufficiency
  • PP: Postpartum
  • PPD: Postpartum Depression
  • PROM: Premature Rupture of Membranes
  • PTSD: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
  • PUPO: Pregnant Until Proven Otherwise
  • PZD: Partial Zona Dissection

R

  • Rainbow Baby: Baby born after pregnancy or infant loss
  • RE: Reproductive Endocrinologist
  • R-FSH or R-hFSH: Recombinant Human Follicle Stimulating Hormone
  • RI: Reproductive Immunologist
  • RIP: Reproductive Immunophenotype
  • ROS: Reactive Oxygen Species
  • RPL: Recurrent Pregnancy Loss
  • RSA or RSM: Recurrent Spontaneous Abortion
  • Rx: Prescription

S

  • SA: Semen Analysis
  • SAHM: Stay-at-home mom
  • SART: Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology
  • SB, s/b: Stillbirth
  • SCH: SubChorionic Hemorrhage
  • SCORIF: Stimulated Cycle Oocyte Retrieval In (office) Fertilization
  • SHG, SonoHSG: Sonohysterogram
  • SI: Secondary Infertility
  • SIS: Saline Injection Sonogram
  • SLE: Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
  • SM: Surrogate Mother
  • SMC: Single Mother by Choice
  • SMEP: “Sperm Meets Egg Plan” book by Deanna Roy
  • Snowbabies: Frozen embryos, also referred to as Frosties
  • SO: Significant Other
  • SOD: Sex on Demand or sex on a schedule during treatment
  • SP: Sperm Count
  • SPA: Sperm Penetration Assay
  • SPALS: Subsequent Pregnancy After a Loss Support
  • S/S: Signs/Symptoms
  • STD: Sexually Transmitted Disease
  • STI: Sexually Transmitted Infection
  • STIMS: Stimulating Hormones, usually injectable fertility drugs
  • Stimming: Process of using injectable medication to prepare for IVF or IUI.
  • SubQ or SC: Subcutaneous Injection
  • SUZI: Subzonal Insertion

T

  • T1: Type 1 Diabetic – Juvenile Diabetes
  • T2: Type 2 Diabetic – Insulin Resistant, Adult Onset
  • T4: Thyroxine
  • TCM: Traditional Chinese Medicine
  • TCOYF: “Taking Charge of Your Fertility” by Toni Weschler, a book about monitoring your body’s natural signs of fertility.
  • TEBG: Testosterone-Estradiol Binding Globulin
  • TESA: Testicular Sperm Aspiration
  • TESE: Testicular Sperm Extraction
  • TET: Tubal Embryo Transfer
  • TDI: Therapeutic Donor Insemination
  • TET: Tubal Embryo Transfer
  • TI: Timed Intercourse
  • TL: Tubal Ligation
  • TNF: Tumor Necrosis Factor
  • TORCH: Toxoplasmosis, Other, Rubella, Cytomegalovirus & Herpes Test
  • TR: Tubal Reversal
  • TRH: Thyroid Releasing Hormone
  • TS: Traditional Surrogate
  • TSH: Thyroid Stimulating Hormone
  • TTC: Trying To Conceive
  • TTCAR: Trying to Conceive After Reversal
  • TUFT: Trans-uterine Fallopian Transfer
  • TW: Trigger Warning (possibly a sensitive topic in an online post)
  • TWW: Two-Week Wait (from insemination to pregnancy or menstruation)
  • Tx: Treatment
  • TYB: Test Yolk Buffer (used to help preserve life of sperm that is shipped)
  • TZD: Thiazolidinediones

U

  • UR:  Urologist
  • US or u/s:  Ultrasound
  • UTI:  Urinary Tract Infection

V

  • V: Vasectomy
  • VR: Vasectomy Reversal

W

  • WBC: White Blood Count or White Blood Cells
  • WHR: Waist to Hip Ratio
  • WNL: Within Normal Limits

Z

  • ZIFT:  Zygote Intrafallopian Transfer

 

 

*Yes, I created my own acronym, because why not? 🙂

 

 

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