This short section lists abbreviations, clinical procedures, laboratory tests, pathological conditions and associated words relating to the male reproductive system and is for reference. Note it is not necessary to learn these as part of the medical terminology course. Only very common words that a medical secretary may need to refer to in a patient's general practice surgery record are included. Scroll down the page:
Back to the Section Menu:| AID | artificial insemination by donor |
| BHP | benign prostatic hyperplasia |
| DRE | digital rectal examination |
| GU | genitourinary |
| ICSH | interstitial cell stimulating hormone |
| Pros | prostate (gland) |
| PSA | prostate-specific antigen |
| SPP | suprapubic prostatectomy |
| STD | sexually transmitted disease |
| STI | sexually transmitted infection |
| Syph | syphilis |
| TUR | transurethral resection |
| TURP | transurethral resection of the prostate gland |
| VD | venereal disease |
| chancre | removal of the testes |
| coitus | sexual intercourse |
| ejaculation | sudden expulsion (emission) of semen from the penis |
| erectile dysfunction | the inability to develop and maintain erection for satisfactory sexual intercourse (formerly called impotence) |
| erection | rigid enlargement of the penis during sexual arousal |
| eunuch | a male depived of testicles or external genitalia, especially before puberty |
| fertile | capable of inducing conception |
| fertility | the capacity to induce conception |
| impotence | inability of the male to achieve or maintain an erection until ejaculation |
| orgasm | climax of sexual excitement |
| potency | the abilty to perform coitus (sexual intercourse) |
| smegma | the secretion of sebaceous glands found beneath the prepuce |
| spermatorrhea | involuntary escape of semen, without orgasm |
| sterile | barren, unable to reproduce |
| sterility | the state of being unable to reproduce |
| urethritis | inflammation of the urethra |
| Castration | surgery performed using an endoscope to restore ventilation and drainage of the nasal sinuses |
| Circumcision | surgical procedure in which the prepuce (foreskin) is removed |
| DRE | digital rectal examination, examination of the prostate gland using finger palpation through the rectum |
| PSA test | the prostate-specific antigen test measures an antigen produced by the prostate gland; elevated levels are associated with prostatic enlargement and prostate cancer |
| Semen analysis | a semen specimen is collected in a sterile container and analyzed microscopically. Sperm cells are counted and examined for motility (movement) and shape. Men with fewer than 20 million sperm per ml of semen are usually sterile. |
| Sterilization | any procedure in which an individual is made incapable of reproduction |
| TURP | transurethral resection of the prostate gland, a procedure in which a resectoscope is inserted into the urethra and used to remove sections of the prostate gland. |
| Vasectomy | removal of a section of the vas deferens to sterilize the male (sperm are then prevented from entering the semen |
| Vasovasostomy | the formation of an opening between two ends of a severed vas
deferens (it reverses vasectomy) |
| Cryptorchism | failure of one or both testicles to descend into the scrotum |
| Epispadia | congenital condition in which the urethra opens on to the dorsal surface of the penis |
| Hydrocele | a sac of clear fluid in the scrotum, hydroceles occur in response to infection or tumors |
| Hypospadia | congenital condition in which the urethra opens onto the undersurface of the penis |
| Phimosis | narrowing (stricture) of the opening of the foreskin (prepuce) over the glans penis |
| Prostate cancer | a malignant tumor of the prostate gland, treatment consists of prostatectomy, radiation therapy and hormonal chemotherapy |
| Prostatic hyperplasia | benign growth of cells within the prostate gland |
| Seminoma | a malignant testicular tumor that arises from germ cells within the testis |
| Sexually transmitted disease (venereal disease) | diseases that are transmitted by sexual contact; these include: bacterial infections such as chlamydia, gonrrhoea and syphilis, and viral infections such as herpes and AIDS |
| Torsion (of a testicle) | twisting of the spermatic cord that can cut off the blood supply to the testicle, a surgical emergency |
| Varicocele | enlarged dilated veins near a testicle |
This ends the list of common medical words for the male reproductive system