You say tow-mah-tow and I say tow-may-tow

I agree that the medical profession has too many abbreviations and that it is hard to know how to act knowledgeable in front of your RE. So here are some helpful hints about how we on the other side of the desk pronounce various abbreviations:

RE (reproductive endocrinologist): are-ee
IVF (in vitro fertilization): eye-vee-eff
GIFT (gamete intrafallopian transfer): gift NOT gee-eye-eff-tea
ZIFT (zygote intrafallopian transfer): zift NOT zee-eye-eff-tea
FET (frozen embryo transfer): eff-ee-tea NOT fete
ICSI (intracytoplasmic sperm injection): ick-see NOT eye-see-ess-eye
POF (premature ovarian failure): pee-oh-eff NOT poff
PCOS (polcystic ovarian syndrome): pee-see-oh-ess NOT pee-cos
PGD (preimplantation genetic diagnosis): pee-gee-dee
ASRM (American Society of Reproductive Medicine): as-ram OR ay-ess-are-em

If there are other abbreviations that anyone needs help with just post a comment and we will discuss it.... But don't stress out just read the post below...


86. What role does stress play in causing infertility?


Not surprisingly, dealing with infertility can itself be very stressful. And stress—both physical and psychological—can significantly affect a woman’s ability to conceive. A recent study examining the role of psychological stress in successful pregnancy showed a one-third decrease in pregnancy rates in those women undergoing IVF who perceived themselves to be overly stressed. Most of these women were lawyers whose stress was perceived to be job related. Excessive physical stress can also be detrimental to a woman’s ability to conceive. Studies show that women who run more than 20 miles per week may begin to experience abnormalities in their menstrual cycle, which may in turn affect their fertility potential. Women who run marathons or compete at a very high physical level, for example, commonly have ovulatory dysfunction and infertility. There are many different ways to decrease the stress inherently present with infertility and its treatment—for example, decreasing work hours or changing jobs, exercise, meditation, yoga, acupuncture, getting a new hobby, or simply setting aside some time for oneself. Many patients are able to reduce their infertility-related stress by simply becoming more knowledgeable about the subject of infertility. In addition to providing physician counseling, we ask our own patients to read and become more educated about their infertility, thereby empowering them to take control of it. Excellent and reliable information is available at the American Society of Reproductive Medicine website (www.ASRM.org).