The ABCs of Infertility Acronyms and Abbreviations

Lets face it, if you’ve dealing with infertility there is no shortage of communities, advice, blogs and articles out there to help you out. But there’s a big problem with these resources, the abbreviations and acronyms. Simply said, there are a shit ton of them. Some of them you can figure out, others have left my wife and I spitballing at each other for a few minutes before we simply google it.

So, below is what I consider to be a pretty comprehensive list of infertility abbreviations and acronyms from Resolve.org. My hope is that you’ll never have to stop reading my writing or anyone else’s writings because of an abbreviation you don’t know.

2WW	2 Week Wait
ACA	Anti-cardiolipin Antibody
ACTH	Adrenal Carticotropic 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 Thrombo 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 (sex)
Beta	HCG pregnancy test
BFN	Big Fat Negative
BFP	Big Fat Positive
B/W, b/w	Bloodwork
CAH	Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia
CASA	Computer-assisted Semen Analysis
CB	Cycle Buddy
CBAVD	Congenital Bilateral Absence of Vas Deferens
CCCT, CCT	Clomiphene Citrate Challenge Test (Clomid Challenge Test)
CD	Cycle Day
CF	Cystic Fibrosis
CM	Cervical Mucus
CMV	Cytomegalovirus
CNM	Certified Nurse Midwife
COH	Controlled Ovarian Hyperstimulation
CP	Cervical Position
CPFM	ClearPlan Fertility Monitor (Brand Name)
CVS	Chorionic Villae Sampling
D&C	Dilation & Curettage
D&E	Dilation & Evacuation
DE	Donor Eggs
DES	Diethylstillbestrol
DH	Dear Husband
DHEAS	Dihydroepiandrosterone
DI	Donor Husband
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
DW	Dear Wife
Dx	Diagnosis
E2	Estradiol
EB, EMB	Endometrial Biopsy
ENDO	Endometriosis
EPT	Early Pregnancy Test
ER	Egg Retrieval
ET	Egg Transfer
ETA	Embryo Toxicity Assay
ETF	Embryo Toxicity Factor
FAQ	Frequently Asked Questions
FBG	Fasting Blood Glucose
FI	Fasting Insulin
FF	Fertility Friend
FHR	Fetal Heart Rate
FP	Follicular Phase
FM	Fertility Mucus or Fertility Monitor
FRED	Fertility Response Early Detection (Brand Name)
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
GTT	Glucose Tolerance Test
hCG, HCG	Human Chorionic Gonadotropin
hMG, HMG	Human Menopausal Gonadotropin
HCP	Health Care Practitioner
HEPA	Hampster Egg Penetration Assay
HPT	Home Pregnancy Test
HRT	Hormone Replacement Therapy
HSC	Hysteroscopy
HSG	Hysterosalpingogram
HX	History
IBT	Immunobead Binding Test
ICI	Intra-cervical Insemination
ICSI	Intra-cytoplamic Sperm Injection
IF	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 Retardation
IUI	Intra-uterine Insemination
IVC	Intra-vaginal Culture
IVF/ET	In Vitro Fertilization and Embryo Transfer
IVF	In Vitro Fertilization
IVIg	Intravenous Immunoglobulin
LAD	Leukocyte Antibody Detection Assay
LAP	Laparoscopy
LH	Luteinizing Hormone
LIT	Leukocyte Immunization Therapy
LMP	Last Menstrual Period (start date)
LOL	Laughing Out Loud
LP	Luteal-Phase
LPD	Luteal-Phase Defect
LSP	Low Sperm Count
LUF, LUFS	Luteinized Unruptured Follicle Syndrome

MAI	Miscarriage after Infertility
MC, m/c, misc.	Miscarriage
MENTS	Subject Matter May Be Difficult to Read
MESA	Microsurgical Epidiymal Sperm Aspiration
MF	Male Factor
MMR	Measles-Mumps-Rubella Vaccine
MRI	Magnetic Resonance Imaging
NK	Natural Killer Cells
NORIF	Non-stimulated Oocyte Retrieval In (office) Fertilization
NP	Nurse Practitioner
NSA	Non-Surgical Sperm Aspiration
O, OV	Ovulation
OB	Obstetrician
OB/GYN	Obstetrician/Gynecologist
OC	Oral Contraceptives
OD	Ovum Donor, Ovulatory Dysfunction
OHSS	Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome
OPK	Ovulation Predictor Kit
OPT	Ovulation Predictor Test
OTC	Over the Counter
P4. Prog	Progesterone
PA	Physician’s Assistant
PAI-1	Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor-1
PAF, PANFERT	Pregnancy After Infertility
PCO	Polycistic Ovaries
PCOD	Polycistic Ovarian Disease
PCOS	Polycistic 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 Inflamatory Disease
PIO	Progesterone In Oil
PLI	Paternal Leukocyte Immunization
PMS	Pre-menstrual Syndrome
PMN	Perinatal Mortality
POAS	Pee On A Stick
POC	Products of Conception
POF	Premature Ovarian Failure
PROM	Premature Rupture of Membranes
PTSD	Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
PZD	Partial Zona Dissection
RE	Reproductive Endocrinologist
R-hFSH	Recombinant Human Follicle Stimulating Hormone
RI	Reproductive Immunologist
RIP	Reproductive Immunophynotype
ROS	Reactive Oxygen Species
RPL	Recurrent Pregnancy Loss
RSM	Recurrent Spontaneous Abortion
RX	Prescription
SA	Semen Analysis
SART	Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology
s/b, S/B	Stillbirth
SCORIF	Stimulated Cycle Oocyte Retrieval
SHG, SonoHSG	Sonohysterogram
SI	Secondary Infertility
SLE	Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
SPA	Sperm Penetration Assay
SPALS	Subsequent Pregnancy After a Loss Support
S/S	Signs/Symptoms
STD	Sexually Transmitted Disease
SubQ	Subcutaneous Injection
SUZI	Sub-zonal Insertion
T1	Type 1 Diabetic – Juvenile Diabetes
T2	Type 2 Diabetic – Insulin Resistant, Adult Onset
T4	Thyroxine
TEBG	Testosterone-Estradiol Binding Globulin
TDI	Therapeutic Donor Insemination
TESA	Testicular Sperm Aspiration
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	Trying To Conceive
TTCAR	Trying to Conceive After Reversal
TX	Treatment
TZD	Thiazolidinediones
UR	Urologist
US	Ultrasound
UTI	Urinary Tract Infection
V	Vasectomy
VR	Vasectomy Reversal
WBC	White Blood Count
WHR	Waist to Hip Ratio
WNL	Within Normal Limits
ZIFT	Zygote Intra-fallopian Transfer