Glossary from A-Z

An abortion refers to the loss of a pregnancy before the 24th week of gestation. Causes can be varied, including genetic, hormonal, or immunological factors. ...

A blastocyst is an embryo in an advanced stage of development – about five days after fertilization. Embryos that have reached this stage then have ...

In this process, oocytes, sperm, fertilized oocytes, or embryos are preserved for a potentially very long time by means of controlled freezing. This allows them ...

The woman's monthly cycle is closely monitored using ultrasound and hormone measurements in the blood. This allows the optimal time for insemination or embryo transfer ...

Donor sperm treatment can be performed in couples where the man does not produce his own sperm cells. Donor sperm treatment is also possible for ...

The embryo transfer is the process of introducing one, rarely two, embryos into the uterus. It usually takes place five days after the egg retrieval ...

This term refers to all medical measures that help couples to become pregnant. These include hormone therapies, inseminations, IVF, ICSI and surgical procedures. The goal ...

Follicles are small, fluid-filled sacs in the ovaries in which oocytes mature. During the cycle, a dominant follicle usually develops, which releases the oocyte during ...

Under certain conditions (e.g. hereditary diseases), a genetic examination of the embryo before transfer may be useful. This so-called pre-implantation genetic diagnosis helps to identify ...

To support the natural cycle and oocyte maturation, many women receive hormones – in the form of tablets or injections. This treatment can also help ...

ICSI is a special form of IVF in which a single sperm is injected directly into an egg. This method is primarily used when sperm ...

In some cases, the immune system can make it difficult to become pregnant – for example, due to a disturbed immune reaction that prevents implantation. ...

During insemination, prepared sperm cells are introduced directly into the uterus – at the optimal time in the woman's cycle. This method is particularly useful ...

In conventional in-vitro fertilization, eggs are fertilized with sperm outside the body in the laboratory. The resulting embryos are then transferred to the uterus. IVF ...

The embryo connects with the uterine lining in order to continue growing. This phase, also called implantation, is only possible at a certain point in ...

The so-called anti-Müllerian hormone level (AMH) provides information about the number of oocytes still present in the ovaries. It is an important marker for fertility ...

PCOS is a hormonal disorder in which ovulation often fails to occur or is irregular. Typical symptoms include many small follicles (“cysts”) in the ovaries, ...

Oocyte retrieval (follicular puncture) is a short procedure performed under light anesthesia. The mature oocytes are extracted from the ovaries through the vaginal wall using ...

As a precautionary measure, women have oocytes frozen in order to fulfill their desire to have children at a later point in time – for ...

A semen analysis involves the examination of male seminal fluid. The quantity, motility, morphology, and concentration of sperm are assessed. It is a crucial component ...