| SA |
| Common scientific abbreviation for spontaneous abortion. |
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| Saccharin |
| A man-made sweetener that people use in place of sugar because it has no calories. |
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| Saw Palmetto |
| An herb that has been found helpful by some women with PCOS in treatment of thinning hair and reducing excess hair growth. It has made even more news as a preventive treatment for prostate health. |
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| Saturated fats |
| Fats that are solid at room temperature and come chiefly from animal food products. Some examples are butter, lard, meat fat, solid shortening, palm oil, and coconut oil. These fats tend to raise the level of cholesterol, a fat-like substance in the blood. See also: Fats. |
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| Secondary Diabetes |
| When a person gets diabetes because of another disease or because of taking certain drugs or chemicals. |
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| Secondary Infertility |
| The inability of a couple which has successfully achieved pregnancy to achieve another. This strict medical definition includes couples for whom the pregnancy did not go to term. The common vernacular, however, refers to a couple which has one biological child but is unable to conceive another. |
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| Secrete |
| To make and give off such as when the beta cells make insulin and then release it into the blood so that the other cells in the body can use it to turn glucose (sugar) into energy. |
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| Serophene |
| Brand name for clomiphene citrate. See Clomid. |
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| Shaving |
| A temporary hair removal technique. A sharpened metal blade cuts hair off at the skin's surface. |
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| Short Luteal Phase |
| A condition in which the corpus luteum deteriorates prematurely, causing the menstrual period to begin approximately ten days (instead of fourteen) after ovulation. Frequently found with women undergoing ovulation induction treatment. |
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| Siberian Ginseng |
| For those with insulin resistance in particular, Siberian ginseng has been shown to improve mood, physical performance, and reduce fasting blood sugar levels. |
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| Sliding Scale |
| Adjusting insulin on the basis of blood glucose tests, meals, and activity levels. |
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| Somatostatin |
| A hormone made by the delta cells of the pancreas (in areas called the islets of Langerhans). Scientists think it may control how the body secretes two other hormones, insulin and glucagon. |
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| Sonogram (Ultrasound) |
| Use of high-frequency sound waves for creating an image of internal body parts. Used to detect and count follicle growth (and disappearance) in many fertility treatments. Also used to detect and monitor pregnancy. |
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| Sorbitol |
| A sugar alcohol the body uses slowly. It is a sweetener used in diet foods. It is called a nutritive sweetener because it has four calories in every gram, just like table sugar and starch. Sorbitol is also produced by the body. Too much sorbitol in cells can cause damage. |
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| Sperm |
| The microscopic cell that carries the male's genetic information to the female's egg; the male reproductive cell; the male gamete. |
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| Spermatogenesis |
| Sperm production in the testicles. |
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| Spinnbarkeit |
| The stretchability of cervical mucus; the stringy quality that occurs at midcycle under the influence of estrogen. See also "Postcoital Test". |
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| Spironolactone |
| Is arguably the number one hirsutism treatment of choice for dermatologists in the US. Spironolactone has antiandrogenic effects that may enhance treatment of several androgen-excess conditions, particularly severe hirsutism. |
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| Spontaneous Abortion |
| A pregnancy loss during the first twenty weeks of gestation. |
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| Stein-Leventhal Disease |
| An earlier name for polycystic ovary syndrome. |
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| Stroke |
| Disease caused by damage to blood vessels in the brain. Depending on the part of the brain affected, a stroke can cause a person to lose the ability to speak or move a part of the body such as an arm or a leg. Usually only one side of the body is affected. |
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| Subcutaneous injection |
| Injection into the fat with a small needle. Subcutaneous injections are utilized for Lupron, recombinant FSH, and Repronex. |
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| Sucrose |
| Table sugar; a form of sugar that the body must break down into a more simple form before the blood can absorb it and take it to the cells. |
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| Sugar |
| A class of carbohydrates that tastes sweet. Sugar is a quick and easy fuel for the body to use. Types of sugar are lactose, glucose, fructose, and sucrose. |
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| Sulfonylureas |
| Pills or capsules that people take to lower the level of glucose (sugar) in the blood. See also Oral hypoglycemic agents. |
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| Superovulation |
| Stimulation of multiple ovulation with fertility drugs; also known as controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH). |
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| Syndrome |
| A set of signs or a series of events occurring together that make up a disease or health problem. |
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| Syndrome X |
| Term describing a combination of health conditions that place a person at high risk for heart disease. These conditions are non-insulin-dependent diabetes, high blood pressure, high insulin levels, and high levels of fat in the blood. |
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