Glossary

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Amenorrhea

The absence or abnormal cessation of menstruation due to a number of factors including hormonal, dietary, emotional, and exercise.

American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology

The Board is a professional organization of academic Obstetricians and Gynecologists responsible for certifying physicians who have achieved special competence in the field of Obstetrics and Gynecology as well as the subspecialty fields of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Gynecologic Oncology and Urogynecology. Board Certification requires satisfactory completion of both written and oral examinations.

American Society of Reproductive Medicine

This is the world’s largest society of professionals interested in all areas of reproductive medicine. Various special interest societies are affiliated with this larger organization.

Androgen

Hormones with "male" effects. Most commonly testosterone, androstenedione, and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate.

Andrology

The scientific study of the male; typically referring to male reproduction.

Anovulation

The absence of ovulation.

Artificial Insemination

The process in which sperm are placed into the female reproductive tract for the purpose of producing a pregnancy. Typically this can be intracervical insemination or intrauterine insemination.

Assisted Hatching

A type of micromanipulation procedure designed to improve implantation, whereby the embryologist makes a chemical opening on the zona pellucida of an embryo to allow the cleaved embryo to exit prior to implantation.

Assisted Reproductive Technology

A group of techniques to help couples achieve pregnancy after other surgical and hormonal methods have failed, encompassing controlled ovarian hyperstimulation and intrauterine insemination, in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer, gamete intrafallopian transfer, zygote intrafallopian transfer, and tubal embryo transfer.

Azoospermia

The absence of sperm in the ejaculate.