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Reproductive Medicine (Fertility) guides
29 plain-English, evidence-linked guides in Reproductive Medicine (Fertility), with clinical review status shown on each page.
AMH blood test (ovarian reserve) (Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) test)A blood test that estimates ovarian reserve (roughly how many eggs remain), used mainly to help plan fertility treatment such as IVF.Antral follicle count (AFC) scan (Antral follicle count (transvaginal ultrasound))An ultrasound scan, usually done internally, that counts the small resting follicles in the ovaries to estimate ovarian reserve and help plan fertility treatment.Assisted hatching (Assisted hatching of IVF embryos)An IVF 'add-on' in which the laboratory thins or makes a small opening in the shell around an embryo, in the hope of helping it implant — though there is no good evidence this improves the chance of a baby.Blastocyst culture (Extended embryo culture to the blastocyst stage)Growing embryos in the laboratory for about five days, to the blastocyst stage, so the most developed embryo can be chosen for transfer; it is a selection step, not a treatment that improves an embryo.Counselling and fertility support (Fertility counselling and emotional support)Talking support from a qualified counsellor to help you cope with the emotional side of fertility problems, treatment, donor conception or pregnancy loss.Egg donation / using donor eggs (Treatment using donated eggs (oocyte donation))Fertility treatment that uses eggs donated by another person, or the process of donating your own eggs to help someone else, arranged through a licensed UK clinic with counselling, screening and clear rules about donor identity.Egg freezing (Oocyte cryopreservation (egg freezing))Collecting and freezing a person's eggs so they can try for a baby later; it can help, but it does not guarantee a future baby and success falls with age at freezing.Embryo donation (Embryo donation treatment)A fertility treatment where embryos donated by another person or couple are thawed and one is placed into your womb to try for a pregnancy.Embryo freezing (Embryo cryopreservation (embryo freezing))Freezing and storing embryos created during IVF so they can be used in a later cycle, avoiding repeat egg collection; success when they are used is still not guaranteed.Endometrial scratch (Endometrial scratching (endometrial injury))A fertility 'add-on' in which a thin tube is used to gently scratch the womb lining before IVF, in the hope of helping an embryo implant — though the evidence that it improves the chance of a baby is unclear.Fertility assessment (fertility MOT) (Fertility assessment / ovarian reserve and baseline fertility testing)A set of tests and a consultation to give a snapshot of your reproductive health, usually including hormone blood tests, an ovarian reserve check and, for men, a semen analysis.Fertility preservation before cancer treatment (Oncofertility: fertility preservation before cancer therapy)Urgently collecting and freezing eggs, sperm, embryos or reproductive tissue before cancer treatment that may harm fertility, so you may still have a chance of a child later.Genetic carrier screening (Genetic carrier testing (preconception and reproductive))A blood or saliva test to see whether you carry a gene change for certain inherited conditions that could be passed to a child if both partners carry a change in the same gene.Hormone blood tests (fertility) (Reproductive hormone profile)Blood tests, often timed to the menstrual cycle, that check whether you are ovulating and look for hormone problems that can affect fertility.IMSI / advanced sperm selection (Intracytoplasmic morphologic sperm injection (IMSI))An optional 'add-on' to ICSI that uses very high-magnification microscopy to pick sperm; the HFEA says there is not enough good evidence that it improves the chance of having a baby for most patients.Intrauterine insemination (IUI)A fertility treatment in which prepared sperm is placed directly into the womb around the time of ovulation, often used with donor sperm or for mild fertility problems.IVF (In vitro fertilisation (IVF))A fertility treatment where eggs are collected, fertilised with sperm in a laboratory, and one resulting embryo is placed back into the womb to try for a pregnancy.Ovulation induction (Ovulation induction (medical stimulation of egg release))A medical treatment that uses tablets or hormone injections to help the ovaries release an egg in people who do not ovulate regularly.Pre-implantation genetic testing (PGT-A / PGT-M) (Pre-implantation genetic testing of embryos)A laboratory test that takes a few cells from IVF embryos to check their genes or chromosomes before one is put back, used either to look for a known inherited condition (PGT-M) or to count chromosomes (PGT-A).Recurrent miscarriage investigation (Investigation of recurrent (repeated) miscarriage)A set of tests offered after repeated miscarriages to look for a treatable cause, while recognising that in most couples no clear cause is found.Reproductive immunology testing (Immunological tests and treatments for fertility and miscarriage)Blood or womb-lining tests (such as natural killer cell tests) that some clinics offer for miscarriage or failed IVF, and which UK regulators advise against outside research because they are not supported by good evidence.Semen analysis (Semen analysis (seminal fluid analysis))A laboratory test of a sperm sample that checks the number, movement and shape of sperm, used to investigate male fertility.Shared motherhood (reciprocal IVF) (Reciprocal IVF (partner-assisted reproduction))A fertility treatment for female couples where one partner provides the eggs and the other carries the pregnancy, using donor sperm.Sperm donation / donor sperm treatment (Treatment using donated sperm)Fertility treatment that uses sperm donated by another person, or the process of donating your own sperm to help others, arranged through a licensed UK clinic with screening, counselling and clear rules about legal parenthood and donor identity.Sperm freezing (Sperm cryopreservation and storage)Collecting and freezing sperm so it can be stored and used for fertility treatment in the future.Surgical sperm retrieval (TESA / TESE / PESA) (Surgical sperm retrieval (PESA, TESA, TESE, micro-TESE))A minor surgical procedure to collect sperm directly from the testicle or the tube beside it (epididymis) when there is little or no sperm in the semen.Surrogacy support (Surrogacy: clinic treatment and support pathway)Clinic support and treatment for surrogacy, where another person (the surrogate) carries and gives birth to a baby for the intended parent or parents.Time-lapse embryo monitoring (Time-lapse imaging and incubation of embryos)An IVF 'add-on' in which embryos are grown in a special incubator with a built-in camera that photographs them continuously, in the hope of choosing the best embryo — though good trials show it does not improve the chance of a baby for most patients.Tubal patency test (HyCoSy / HSG) (Tubal patency testing (HyCoSy / hysterosalpingography))A test to check whether the fallopian tubes are open, using either an ultrasound scan with contrast (HyCoSy) or an X-ray with dye (HSG), as part of investigating difficulty conceiving.
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