66 articles
46,XX gonadal dysgenesis
46,XX gonadal dysgenesis (XX-GD, hypergonadotropic ovarian dysgenesis) is a rare DSD in phenotypically female 46,XX individuals: streak gonads, amenorrhea, elevated LH/FSH, premature ovarian failure; managed with hormone replacement and egg donation.
Advanced maternal age
Advanced maternal age (AMA): pregnancy with delivery at age 35 or older, also called geriatric pregnancy. Risks (aneuploidy, miscarriage, preeclampsia, stillbirth) rise continuously, most sharply after 40; ACOG retains the 35 threshold.
Age and female fertility
Age and female fertility: the age-linked decline in women's conception and live-birth chances from a fixed, depleting oocyte pool and rising egg aneuploidy; fecundity falls from ~32, faster after 37, with miscarriage and IVF outcomes quantified by age.
Amenorrhoea
Amenorrhoea (amenorrhea), ICD-11 GA20.0, is the absence of menstruation, primary (never began) or secondary (stopped). Affects about 3–4% of reproductive-age women; pregnancy is the most common cause of the secondary form.
Anovulation
Anovulation is absent ovulation, a leading treatable cause of female infertility (about a quarter of cases). Classified WHO Groups I–III; PCOS dominates; diagnosed by mid-luteal progesterone; letrozole now first-line therapy.
Anovulatory bleeding
Anovulatory bleeding (AUB-O, formerly dysfunctional uterine bleeding): irregular, often heavy uterine bleeding from unopposed estrogen when no ovulation occurs; common at menarche and perimenopause, treated with progestins.
Anovulatory cycle
Anovulatory cycle: a menstrual cycle without ovulation. Common after menarche and before menopause; PCOS causes about 70% of cases. Treated with letrozole, clomiphene, metformin, gonadotrophins, or IVF.
Arthur L. Herbst
Arthur L. Herbst (1931–2023) was an American gynecologic oncologist who chaired obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Chicago and linked prenatal DES exposure to cancer.
Bacterial vaginosis
Bacterial vaginosis (BV), a vaginal dysbiosis replacing Lactobacillus with Gardnerella and anaerobic biofilm bacteria, is the most common cause of vaginal discharge; treated with metronidazole or clindamycin, it recurs in over 50% of women.
Breast cancer
Breast cancer, cancer arising in breast duct or lobule cells, is the most common cancer in women and leading cause of female cancer death; 2.43 million new cases in 2024, five-year survival over 90% in high-income countries versus about 40% in South Africa.
Charles B. Hammond
Charles B. Hammond (1936–2021) was an American gynecologic oncologist and reproductive endocrinologist at Duke University, known for pioneering chemotherapy treatment of gestational trophoblastic disease and chairing Duke's obstetrics department.
Charles J. Lockwood
Charles J. Lockwood is an American obstetrician-gynecologist who leads USF Health and is known for discovering fetal fibronectin, the first biochemical predictor of preterm birth.
Coffin birth
Coffin birth, or postmortem fetal extrusion, is the gas-driven expulsion of a fetus from a decomposing pregnant woman's body, documented in forensic cases and rare archaeological burials such as San Genesio, Tuscany.
Cyclofenil
Cyclofenil (Ondogyne, Fertodur, F-6066) is a non-steroidal ovulation inducer related to clomiphene, once used for female infertility and amenorrhea, now a WADA-prohibited anti-estrogen.
Diminished ovarian reserve
Diminished ovarian reserve (DOR): reduced oocyte quantity with regular menses, assessed by AMH and antral follicle count; predicts IVF oocyte yield but not independent fertility, and oocyte quality is similar to age-matched women.
Ectopic pregnancy
An ectopic pregnancy, also called a tubal or extrauterine pregnancy, is one that implants outside the uterus, usually in a fallopian tube, and can cause life-threatening rupture.
Endometrial polyp
Endometrial polyp: localized overgrowth of uterine lining tissue, also called endometrial polyps. Usually asymptomatic; cause abnormal uterine bleeding or subfertility; about 3% malignant risk; diagnosed by ultrasound and hysteroscopy, treated by hysteroscopic polypectomy.
Fallopian tube obstruction
Fallopian tube obstruction: blockage of one or both fallopian tubes causing tubal factor infertility (30–40% of female infertility). Diagnosed by HSG, HyCoSy/HyFoSy, laparoscopy; treated with tubal surgery, catheterization, or IVF.
Female genital mutilation
Female genital mutilation, also called female genital cutting, is the removal of or harm to external female genitalia without medical justification, affecting over 230 million girls and women.
Fibroadenoma
Fibroadenoma, the commonest benign breast tumor, a biphasic epithelial-stromal lesion of reproductive-age women; diagnosed by triple assessment, usually observed, excised if large, growing, or discordant.
Fimbrial agglutination
Fimbrial agglutination: in gynecology, adhesive bridges of fallopian tube fimbriae across the ostium (ICD-11 GA17.1), linked to infertility and endometriosis; in microbiology, fimbriae-mediated cell clumping.
Fitz-Hugh–Curtis syndrome
Fitz-Hugh–Curtis syndrome, or perihepatitis, is inflammation of the liver capsule from pelvic inflammatory disease, causing right upper quadrant pain and violin-string adhesions; mainly caused by Chlamydia trachomatis, affecting 4–14% of females with PID.
Fragile X-associated primary ovarian insufficiency
FXPOI (Fragile X-associated primary ovarian insufficiency) is ovarian failure before age 40 in women carrying an FMR1 premutation of 55-200 CGG repeats; about 20% of carriers are affected, with irregular periods, infertility, and early menopause.
Frequent menstrual bleeding
Frequent menstrual bleeding (frequent menses, ICD-11 GA20.10) is a FIGO-defined abnormal uterine bleeding symptom: cycles shorter than 24 days, more than four episodes in 90 days, usually from ovulatory dysfunction.
Galactorrhea (γαλακτόρροια)
Galactorrhea (γαλακτόρροια), non-lactational breast milk production, affects about 20-25% of women; usually from medication-induced hyperprolactinemia or prolactinomas, treated with cabergoline.
Genetic contributions to female infertility
Genetic contributions to female infertility are the chromosomal abnormalities and gene variants that impair a woman's ability to conceive, accounting for roughly 5–10% of female reproductive disorders overall.
Heavy menstrual bleeding
Heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB, formerly menorrhagia) is excessive menstrual blood loss interfering with quality of life, affecting 20-50% of reproductive-age women. Causes include fibroids, bleeding disorders; LNG-IUS is the best first-line treatment.
HELLP syndrome
HELLP syndrome is a severe pregnancy complication defined by hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, and low platelets, usually arising with preeclampsia, affecting 0.2 to 0.8 percent of pregnancies and often requiring prompt delivery.
Hot flash
Hot flash (hot flush): sudden feeling of heat in the upper body and face, the main vasomotor symptom of menopause, lasting 30 seconds to 10 minutes; affects up to 80% of midlife women, also men on androgen deprivation therapy; treated with hormone therapy, hypnosis, CBT, SSRIs/SNRIs, gabapentin, fezolinetant, elinzanetant.
Hysterosalpingography
Hysterosalpingography (HSG, uterosalpingography) is a fluoroscopic x-ray exam of the uterine cavity and fallopian tubes using injected contrast, mainly to assess tubal patency in infertility; distinguished from HyCoSy/HyFoSy ultrasound tests by its use of ionizing radiation.