artificial insemination (AI)

A procedure where sperm is injected into the vagina, cervical canal or uterus of a woman.

assisted reproductive treatment (ART)

Also known as assisted reproductive technology. It refers to technologies and associated methods used to help people achieve a pregnancy and have a baby. 

cisgender

A person's gender identity matches the sex they were assigned at birth. A cisgender person can be straight, gay, lesbian, bisexual, queer, or another sexuality.

cishet

An informal term for someone who is cisgender, and is heterosexual, choosing romantic partners of the opposite sex.

dibling

A donor sibling. This term is generally not liked by donor conceived people because it sounds infantile and can undermine the gravitas of the biological connection.

donor

A person who donates egg(s), sperm or embryo(s). This person may be known or anonymous to the recipient. Recipient families may give the donor a title such as donor-dad/mum, biological mother/father, or simply - donor.

donor conception

A conception that takes place through the use of donated gametes (egg, sperm) or embryo(s).  People born through the use of donor treatment are referred to as donor-conceived (DC) or donor offspring. 

donor insemination

Artificial insemination with donor sperm. 

donor sibling

A person related to another due to the shared genetic material of the donor. Donor siblings could be the children of the donor or from different families created via donor conception with the same donor. 

egg

Ovum, oocyte, female gamete. 

egg retrieval

Procedure undertaken in an attempt to collect egg(s) from a woman.

embryo

A live embryo that has a human genome or an altered human genome and that has been developing for less than eight weeks since the appearance of two pronuclei or the initiation of its development by other means. 

embryo transfer

The procedure of placing embryo(s) into the body of a woman. 

fertilisation

Penetration of an egg by sperm.

fertility

Ability to conceive or reproduce. 

fertility preservation

Fertility preservation is used to increase the chance of somebody having children in future. It can be used for medical reasons and personal circumstances. It is sometimes used before medical procedures and treatments that may cause infertility, such as cancer treatment and gender transitioning. 

fertility treatment

Treatments ranging from simple interventions such as medication to help a woman ovulate, through to more complicated procedures known as assisted reproductive treatment (ART). ART, also known as assisted reproductive technology, refers to medical and scientific methods used to help people conceive.  

Fertility treatments are used to treat infertility, for people who can’t become pregnant, carry a pregnancy or give birth, to reduce the chance of a baby inheriting a genetic disease or abnormality, or to preserve fertility.

follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)

A hormone (gonadotrophin) produced by the pituitary gland in the brain. In men, it stimulates the testicles to produce sperm. In women, FSH helps to control the menstrual cycle and production of eggs by the ovaries. 

fresh embryo

An embryo that has not been frozen 

FSH stimulated cycle

A treatment cycle in which the woman’s ovaries are stimulated with superovulatory drugs, excluding clomiphene citrate, to produce more than one egg. 

gamete

An egg or sperm. 

identifying information

Includes information such as name, date of birth, donor code and contact information.

in vitro fertilisation (IVF)

A type of fertility treatment. During IVF, a woman has hormone injections to stimulate her ovaries to produce multiple eggs. When the eggs are mature they are retrieved in an ultrasound-guided procedure under light anaesthetic. The eggs and sperm from the male partner (or a donor) are placed in a culture dish in the laboratory to allow the eggs to hopefully fertilise, so embryos can develop. Three to five days later, if embryos have formed, one is placed into the woman's uterus in a procedure called embryo transfer. If there is more than one embryo, they can be frozen and used later if the first transfer is not successful. 

infertility

The inability to conceive after 12 months or more of unprotected sex, also known as primary infertility. Infertility can be due to a range of medical reasons or due to personal circumstances (e.g. financial or practical reasons). 

Secondary infertility - in people who have previously had a child who are unable to conceive again after 12 months or more of unprotected sex.  

Unexplained infertility - inability to conceive after 12 months or more of unprotected sex and there is no medical reason as to why. 

informal donor conception (IDC)

Situations where people make arrangements to conceive with a sperm donor outside of fertility clinics or sperm banks, typically using an at-home insemination kit. Digital platforms such as Facebook are often used to the find sperm donor used for informal donor conception. Sometimes it is called ‘private’ or ‘unregulated’ donor conception. In many countries, IDC sits outside of the laws and policies which govern fertility treatment and protect the parties involved.

intrauterine insemination (IUI)

A procedure in which a fine catheter (tube) is inserted through the cervix into the uterus to deposit the male partner’s (or a donor’s) sperm directly into the uterus at or just before the time of ovulation.  

non-identifying information

Information that does not reveal someone’s identity. This includes physical traits, such as eye colour, interests and hobbies, occupation and education, as well as the gender, month and year of birth of people born from the same donor. 

parentage

A woman who gives birth to a baby in Victoria is initially legally recognised to be its mother and is recorded on the birth certificate. Her partner (if any), is recorded on the birth certificate as the father or other parent, and will have parenting rights and responsibilities.

rainbow family

A same-sex or LGBTQ+ parented family

recipient parents (RP)

The parent who receives the donor gamete to be used for conception, sometimes also referred to as the intended parent. You may come across ‘commissioning parent’ however we prefer recipient or intended as we feel the word commissioning is very cold and transactional in nature.

social parent

The person with guardianship who raises a child; in the donor conception space, this is typically the recipient parent. as distinct from the biological parent. This term is not preferred as it diminishes the importance of the caring role.

stimulated cycle

A treatment cycle in which the woman’s ovaries are stimulated with superovulatory drugs to produce more than one egg. 

substitute parentage order

Intended parent(s) of a child born under a surrogacy arrangement can apply to the Supreme or County Court for a substitute parentage order if the child was conceived as a result of a treatment procedure in Victoria and if the intended parent(s) live in Victoria at the time of making the application.  

A substitute parentage order will name the intended parent(s) as the child’s legal parent(s). An application for a substitute parentage order must be made no less than 28 days and no more than six months after the child is born. 

surrogacy

An arrangement whereby a woman is treated with an embryo created from gametes from the intended parent(s) or donor eggs and sperm. She carries the pregnancy with the intention or agreement that the offspring will be parented by the intended parent(s). 

altruistic surrogacy

A non-commercial surrogacy arrangement. The surrogate is not paid a fee or reward beyond being reimbursed realistic out of pocket expenses for the pregnancy and giving birth, e.g. medical costs, travel, etc. An altruistic surrogacy arrangement may be either gestational or traditional. 

commercial surrogacy

A surrogacy arrangement in which a surrogate is paid or gains a material benefit for carrying the child. 

gestational surrogacy

A surrogacy arrangement in which the surrogate’s egg is not used in conception, so the surrogate (gestational carrier) has no genetic link to the baby and is not the biological mother. The embryo transferred into the surrogate may be created using the intended parents’ sperm and egg, or donor embryos may be used.  

traditional surrogacy

A surrogacy arrangement in which an egg from the surrogate is used. Fertility treatment, either artificial insemination or IVF, is used with the intended father’s sperm. In traditional surrogacy, the surrogate carries the pregnancy and gives birth to a child that they are genetically related to.  

surrogate

A woman who agrees to carry and give birth to a child on behalf of another person or couple.

thaw cycle

A cycle where cryopreserved (frozen) eggs, sperm or embryos are thawed prior to transfer. 

thawed embryo

A previously cryopreserved (frozen) embryo that has been thawed. 

third party assisted reproduction

fertility treatment involving donor gametes/embryos or a surrogate.

transfer

The procedure of placing embryo(s) or egg(s) and sperm into the body of a woman.

zygote

A fertilised egg