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Staring down the long road of infertility is massively intimidating for many reasons. First, there's the whole you-have-no-control-over-your-life-and-everything-you-thought-you'd-have-and-would-come-easily-is-nowhere-to-be-found thing. Second, there's the basic TTC (Trying to Conceive) vocabulary, which is basically a bunch of random acronyms someone created to make things even more confusing.
In many ways, infertility is its own language, and becoming fluent can take a while. As an IVF veteran, I'm still in the dark when it comes to some fertility-related phrases and medical terms. Aside from the intense amount of biological and physiological information that your OBGYN and RE assume you already know, there are SO. MANY. ACRONYMS. And unless you're a compulsive oversharer on Instagram or TikTok, chances are you don't know your POAS from your DPO.
And that? That's a problem when trying to decipher the Infertility Code (a much more complicated puzzle than the Da Vinci Code). Understanding the different tests, medications, diagnoses, and procedures is essential to understanding your body and your medical options so you can be your own best advocate on your family-building journey.
So study up, young grasshopper. Below is a beginner's guide to fertility acronyms.
Fertility acronyms and abbreviations to add to your repertoire
AF = Aunt Flow (your period)
AH = Assisted Hatching
ALICE = Analysis of Infectious Chronic Endometritis
AMH = Anti-Mullerian Hormone; a hormone level that can be used to predict your ovarian reserve.
AI = Artificial Insemination
ART = Assisted Reproductive Technology (like IUI or IVF)
BBT = Basal Body Temperature
BC / BCP = Birth Control (Pills); this one might seem random, but many women are prescribed birth control pills as a precursor to IVF.
BD = Baby Dance; a polite way of saying “having sex”
Beta = Not really an acronym, but this is the hCG blood test taken after a fertility treatment to determine whether or not a woman is pregnant.
BFN = Big Fat Negative; getting a negative pregnancy test…
BFP = Big Fat Positive! The holy grail to which all TTC couples aspire…
BPM = Beats Per Minute; referring to an embryo’s heart rate.
B/W = Bloodwork
CD = Cycle Day; this refers to the specific day of your cycle, with CD1 being the first day of your period.
CM = Cervical Mucus
Cyst = Ovarian cysts are fluid-filled sacs that form on the ovaries.
D&C = Dilation & Curettage; a procedure sometimes performed after a miscarriage to remove tissue from the uterus.
DE = Donor Eggs
DEIVF = Donor Egg IVF
DH = Dear Husband
DOR = Diminished Ovarian Reserve
DPO = Days Post-Ovulation
DPT = Days Post-Transfer; for example, 6dp5dt would mean 6 days post-day-5 embryo transfer.
ERA = Endometrial Receptivity Analysis
EMMA = Endometrial Microbiome Metagenomic Analysis
FET = Frozen Embryo Transfer
FP = Follicular Phase, from CD1 until you ovulate (occurs before the Luteal Phase)
Fibroid = A noncancerous growth in the uterus that can develop during childbearing years
Frostie = Nickname for a frozen embryo
FSH = Follicle-Stimulating Hormone; the hormone responsible for the growth of ovarian follicles.
GP = General Practitioner
hCG = Human Chorionic Gonadotropin Hormone, also known as the “pregnancy hormone”
HPT = Home Pregnancy Test
HSC = Hysteroscopy; a procedure that allows your doctor to look inside your uterus
HSG = Hysterosalpingogram; an X-ray test to outline the internal shape of the uterus and show whether the fallopian tubes are blocked
ICSI = Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection; a procedure during IVF in which eggs are directly injected with an individual sperm
IMSI = Intracytoplasmic Morphologically Selected Sperm Injection; a technique that uses high magnification to choose the healthiest sperm before ICSI.
PICSI = Physiological Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection; an enhanced version of ICSI that uses sperm binding to hyaluronic acid to select mature sperm.
IF = Infertility, straight up
IUI = Intrauterine Insemination
IVF = In Vitro Fertilization
LAP = Laparoscopy; a surgery using a thin tube to look at pelvic organs and find problems such as cysts, adhesions, or fibroids.
LH = Luteinizing Hormone; OPKs measure spikes in your LH to predict ovulation.
LMP = Last Menstrual Period
LP = Luteal Phase; the time between ovulation and menstruation (also called The Two Week Wait).
LSP = Low Sperm Count
MC = Miscarriage
MF(I) = Male Factor (Infertility)
MicroTESE = Microdissection Testicular Sperm Extraction; a surgical procedure to retrieve sperm directly from testicular tissue.
MESA = Microsurgical Epididymal Sperm Aspiration; a procedure to collect sperm from the epididymis.
OB/GYN = Obstetrician / Gynecologist
OHSS = Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome
OI = Ovulation Induction
OPK = Ovulation Predictor Kit
PCOS = Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome
PG = Pregnant!
P4 = Progesterone
PGT = Preimplantation Genetic Testing — the umbrella term that has replaced PGS/PGD, with three main types:
- PGT-A = for Aneuploidies (chromosomal abnormalities)
- PGT-M = for Monogenic disorders (single-gene conditions)
- PGT-P = for Polygenic Risk (conditions like diabetes, cancers, schizophrenia, and heart disease)
- PGT-SR = for Structural Rearrangements (chromosomal rearrangements)
PIO = Progesterone in Oil
PNV = Prenatal Vitamins
POAS = Pee on a stick (take an at-home pregnancy test)
POF = Premature Ovarian Failure
PUPO = Pregnant Until Proven Otherwise
RE = Reproductive Endocrinologist
RPL = Recurrent pregnancy loss
RESOLVE = National Nonprofit Organization that supports those experiencing infertility
SA = Semen Analysis
SD = Sperm Donor
TESE = Testicular Sperm Extraction
TSH = Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone
TTC = Trying to Conceive
TWW = Two Week Wait
U/S = Ultrasound
WFP = Wait for period
WIC = Where in cycle
TTC meaning: Yes, there’s nuance.
At first glance, “TTC” looks simple enough — Trying to Conceive. But if you’ve lived it, you know it carries a lot more weight.
For some, it feels clinical and detached, like a box you’re forced into once sex stopped being spontaneous and started being scheduled.
For others, it’s empowering — shorthand for joining a community that “gets it” when nobody else does.
TTC in month three looks nothing like TTC in year three. The acronym carries your history, your exhaustion, and your hope.
In casual conversation, “we’re trying” might sound like small talk. But in fertility clinics, “TTC” lands with the full reality of charting, testing, injections, and loss.
Using TTC can feel like joining a club you never wanted membership to. Yet at the same time, it can create instant understanding with people in the same struggle.
The social media evolution of TTC acronyms
Since 2022, fertility conversations have exploded on TikTok, Instagram, and Reddit (we should know, we've been having the conversations!). On the one hand, acronyms like TTC, PUPO, and BFN build instant connection — you can scroll and immediately find thousands of people who understand. On the other hand, these same platforms spread misinformation fast, and excessive acronyms can feel alienating if you don’t know what they mean.
Social media has made fertility language more visible and relatable, but it’s also blurred lines between personal anecdotes and medical facts. While finding solidarity is powerful, always check acronyms and advice against trusted medical sources before making decisions about your care.
Speaking the language of fertility
Learning the alphabet soup of fertility acronyms can feel overwhelming, but knowing the terms isn’t just about decoding internet forums or clinic notes. It’s about understanding your body, your options, and your place in a community that speaks this language too.
Whether you’re navigating TTC in private, swapping acronyms in a support group, or scrolling through TikTok at 2 a.m., remember: the letters are just tools. They don’t define your journey or your worth. What matters most is how you use this knowledge to advocate for yourself, ask the right questions, and feel less alone on the road to building your family.
Here's to hoping you get your BFP soon!
Kristyn Hodgdon is a passionate women's health advocate and the Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer of Rescripted, where she helps break down complicated medical info into content that's easy to understand — and actually helpful. As an IVF mom who’s experienced pregnancy loss and lives with PCOS, Kristyn blends her professional know-how with real-life experience to support others navigating similar journeys. Her work has been featured on Good Morning America, ScaryMommy, and more, and she’s the host of the podcast From First Period To Last Period. A Fordham University grad, Kristyn also volunteers with the Fly Again Foundation, which supports breast cancer patients. You can find her on Instagram or connect with her on Linkedin.