Anti-Mullerian (AMH) – This is a protein released by the ovaries and is related to the development of follicles in the ovary. Blood tests to check AMH levels may be done as part of fertility testing.

AOFC – Australasian Oncofertility Consortium is a group of Australasian cancer and fertility doctors, scientists, epidemiologists and consumer interested in Oncofertility care.

AOFR – Australasian Oncofertility Registry. This is a database that holds Oncofertility data to be stored for clinical and research purposes.

AOFR Steering Committee- This is a committee that ensures that standard policies that support the AOFR are followed, review all the results and approve all reports and publications.

AOFR Investigator Group – This is a committee made up of a fertility specialist and a cancer specialist from each state and territory from Australia and New Zealand, the National Project Manager and Data Custodian.

Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) – Methods used to achieve pregnancy by artificial or partially artificial means.

AYA – Adolescent and Young Adult, usually aged between 13-25 years old.

Child/Children – Patient aged from 0-12 years old.

Consumers – To give approval, assent, or permission.

Consent – To give approval, assent, or permission.

Data custodian – A person that controls the access to the information that a registry or database holds but does not personally own the data.

Demographic characteristics – Personal facts about patients (for example age, country of birth, gender, or ethnic origin) that are collected by doctors.

Embryo – When an egg and sperm come together (fertilization) they form an embryo.

Embryo cryopreservation – Eggs are collected from female patients’ ovaries and sperm is inserted into the egg (fertilization). The embryos are then frozen and stored.

Fertilization – This is the fusion of an egg with a sperm, which leads to the development of an embryo.

Fertility preservation – This is a way to help cancer patients keep and protcet their fertility after cancer treatment, in order to have their own biological children.

FUTuRE Fertility Research Group – This group is made up of professionals who are responsible for managing the day-to-day aspects of the AOFR .

Gonadal tissue or gonads – Glands that make sex hormones and reproductive cells, which are testes in the male, ovaries in the female.

Gynaecological – The medical practice dealing with the health of the female reproductive system (uterus, vagina, and ovaries).

Infertility – The inability to have a child after having regular unprotected sex.

Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI)- This is an in vitro fertilization procedure in which a single sperm is injected directly into an egg.

In Vitro Maturation (IVM) – This is a method of letting immature ovarian follicles mature in vitro (in a test tube). This method is new and used in a very small number of centres but babies have been born using this method.

Obstetric – The medical practice of looking after pregnant women during pregnancy and childbirth

Oncofertility – This is a new field of medicine that combines cancer and fertility doctors working together to discover and apply new fertility preservation options for patients with fertility threatening diseases or treatments.

Oocyte cryopreservation – Eggs (oocytes) are collected from females’ ovaries and are then frozen and stored. Later, when women are ready to become pregnant, the eggs can be thawed, fertilized, and transferred to the uterus as embryos.

Ovarian tissue cryopreservation – A whole ovary or tissue from part of the ovary is collected, frozen and then stored. The use of ovarian tissue is still experimental.

Ovarian follicle count – Ovarian follicles are part of the female reproductive system, and are found in the ovary. Each follicle contains a single egg. These eggs are developed only once every menstrual cycle (e.g. once a month in females).

Pelvic ultrasound – This is a type of scan where a probe is rubbed over the lower part of the abdomen (trans abdominal scan) or inserted into the vagina (transvaginal) to look at the ovaries. The probe sends out harmless, high frequency sound waves into the pelvis and an image is formed.

Psychological – The study of the mind and of thought, feeling and behaviour.

Psychologist – This is a health professional that studies and treats psychological distress.

Psychological Distress – This is a term used to describe a range of symptoms and experiences that are commonly held to be troubling, confusing or out of the ordinary.

Quality of life – Fertility related well-being.

Questionnaire – A number of questions that patients answer to allow researchers to find out more information about a topic.

Questionnaire – A number of questions that patients answer to allow researchers to find out more information about a topic.

Registry – A place to store research data.

Research- A method of finding out new information about a topic.

Researcher – A scientist who attempts to find out new things about a topic.

Reproductive health – The ability to have a child before or after cancer treatment.

Semen – This is a fluid produced by males that comes out of the penis by ejaculation. The semen contains sperm which can fertilize female eggs.

Semen analysis – To look at semen under the microscope to see if the sperm is a normal shape, (morphology) swims well (motility) and count the number of healthy sperm (concentration).

Sperm – The male reproductive cells that combine with female egg cells during fertilization.

Sperm cryopreservation/banking – To collect sperm and then freeze and store it for later use.

Testicular sperm extraction (TESE) – This is the process of removing a small portion of tissue from the testicle under local anesthesia and extracting the viable sperm cells present in that tissue.