By Dr. Nafeesah Allen
The journey to grow your family isn’t always straightforward. Whether you’re just starting to explore your options or you’re deep in the process, navigating fertility treatments can feel confusing, clinical, and at times, lonely. We believe in offering clear, compassionate information that reflects the diverse paths people take to parenthood—whether you’re queer, solo, partnered, or facing unexpected hurdles. This glossary breaks down some of the most common fertility treatments and terms so you can feel more grounded, informed, and supported, no matter where you start!
Advances in reproductive health now mean that many causes of infertility or barriers to conception—whether hormonal, anatomical, or unexplained—can often be treated with precise methods. Knowing what’s available and which specialists are involved is a crucial first step in understanding your options.
Fertility Preservation
Egg Freezing
Ovulating people who are not ready to conceive but want to preserve their fertility options for the future may look to egg freezing. This procedure involves stimulating the ovaries, retrieving the eggs, and cryopreserving them for later use. It’s a powerful option for those undergoing cancer treatment or those who want to wait to conceive.
Dr. Silverberg explains that egg freezing “provides the security of knowing that they will have the opportunity to use their ‘young eggs,’ even much later in life.”
Fertility Support
Ovulation Induction
One of the most common fertility treatments involves regulating ovulation. Many people who struggle to conceive do so because they’re not ovulating regularly. Ovulation induction drugs like clomiphene citrate (Clomid) or letrozole can help stimulate the ovaries to release eggs. These oral medications are often a first-line treatment because they are affordable and relatively easy to take.
According to Dr. Kaylen Silverberg, a fertility specialist at the Texas Fertility Center, “Pregnancy rates with oral medications range from 6 to 12% per cycle, so it often takes more than one cycle to get pregnant.” Doctors closely monitor these cycles because of the increased risk of multiple pregnancies (such as twins or triplets).
Surgical Treatments for Uterus-based Fertility
In cases where physical issues like uterine fibroids or structural defects are present, surgery may be needed. These procedures can help restore fertility by correcting anatomical barriers that prevent conception.
Dr. Silverberg says, “Uterine abnormalities can often be treated surgically,” to facilitate lower-barrier conception and a healthy pregnancy. A reproductive endocrinologist or gynecologic surgeon typically handles these types of procedures.
Sperm Support and Medications
When it comes to sperm-based fertility, the journey often starts with a semen analysis. If abnormalities are found, hormonal testing and genetic screening may follow.
Dr. Sepah points out that “treatments like Enclomiphene or hCG can induce natural production of testosterone without diminishing sperm count,” which is essential to maintain fertility while treating hormonal imbalances. In contrast, traditional testosterone replacement therapy can suppress sperm production.
For mild to moderate hormonal issues, oral or injectable medications may be enough, but as Dr. Silverberg warns, “it takes several months for sperm to develop,” so patience is key.
Surgical Options and Sperm Retrieval
When anatomical problems such as varicoceles (enlarged veins in the scrotum) or blockages are involved, surgery may be necessary. Urologists who specialize in sperm-based fertility can perform procedures to repair these issues or retrieve sperm directly from the testes if none is found in the ejaculate.
For people with extremely low sperm counts, advanced techniques like testicular sperm extraction (TESE) may be used in conjunction with IVF. Another method, intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), involves injecting a single sperm directly into an egg.
ICSI is a lab technique used during IVF cycles where a single sperm is injected directly into an egg. This is useful in severe infertility cases, when sperm count, motility, or morphology is too poor for natural fertilization.
Dr. Silverberg explains that ICSI offers people with extremely low sperm counts the same chance of fertilization as those with normal sperm profiles. This approach is handled by embryologists in IVF labs and has revolutionized fertility treatments.
Conception Support
Intrauterine Insemination (IUI)
Intrauterine insemination (IUI) is a relatively low-tech option that involves placing a concentrated sample of sperm directly into the uterus around the time of ovulation. It’s often used when there is mildly low sperm count or when donor sperm is needed.
Dr. Silverberg notes that “pregnancy rates per IUI cycle range from 6 to 20%, depending on whether it’s done in a natural cycle or combined with fertility drugs.”
In Vitro Fertilization (IVF)
When other treatments don’t work, IVF is often the next step. This process involves stimulating the ovaries to produce and retrieve eggs, fertilizing them in a lab, and transferring one or more embryos back into the uterus. Statistically, IVF offers high success rates compared to other fertility treatments.
Dr. Cameron Sepah, a clinical psychologist and CEO of Maximus, emphasizes that IVF is “very effective but also the most invasive and expensive” option. However, it does provide opportunities for genetic testing of embryos and often results in extra embryos that can be used in later cycles.
IVF is also an essential part of using donor eggs or a gestational carrier, and it is often required should fallopian tubes be blocked or sperm count be extremely low.
Supported Conception Journeys
Donor sperm, donor eggs, and gestational carriers are beautiful and can be essential pathways to parenthood. These options can be especially meaningful for single parents, queer and trans folks, and anyone navigating fertility challenges.
“IVF with donor eggs and a gestational carrier is the path to fatherhood for many single parents and gay couples,” says Dr. Silverberg. For those without viable sperm or eggs, donor-assisted fertility care offers real hope. “We’re fortunate to live in a time when we have so many options,” he adds.
Starting or growing a family can be a long and complex process, especially when moving through fertility treatments. But there’s no one-size-fits-all path—just what’s right for you, your body, and your journey. Building a team of supportive care providers—whether doctors, doulas, nutritionists, or therapists—can make all the difference as you navigate from conception to parenthood.
