Surrogacy conversations can quickly fill with initials. A clinic, attorney, and agency may each use shorthand that is familiar to their team but new to you. Frank’s video introduces several common terms. This glossary gives you a place to return when you need a quick explanation.
An acronym should make a conversation shorter, not harder to understand. If a term appears in your own paperwork, ask the person who wrote it to explain what it means in that context.
People in the journey
- IP or IPs: Intended Parent or Intended Parents. The person or people planning to become parents through the arrangement. Golden works with couples and single Intended Parents.
- GC: Gestational Carrier. A person carrying a pregnancy created using an embryo made with an egg from someone else. GS means Gestational Surrogate. Golden uses both GC and GS for this role.
- ED: Egg Donor. A person providing eggs for use in fertility treatment. An egg donor and a gestational Surrogate have different roles.
Medical terms you may hear
- IVF: In Vitro Fertilization. Fertilization of eggs with sperm outside the body in a laboratory. See our IVF overview for how this fits into a gestational surrogacy journey.
- FET: Frozen Embryo Transfer. Transfer of an embryo that was previously frozen. Your fertility clinic explains the treatment plan and timing.
- RE: Reproductive Endocrinologist. A fertility specialist. Ask the clinic which physician is responsible for your care and decisions.
- OB: Obstetrician. A physician providing pregnancy-related care. You may also see OB-GYN, referring to obstetrics and gynecology.
- MFM: Maternal-Fetal Medicine. A medical specialty focused on complex or high-risk pregnancy care and consultation. A review does not by itself mean a person has been diagnosed with a complication.
Legal and coordination terms
- GSA: Gestational Surrogacy Agreement. The agreement reviewed with the parties’ independent attorneys before proceeding through the required legal clearance process.
- Legal clearance. Confirmation through the legal process that the required agreement work is complete for the next stage. Ask your team how that confirmation is communicated.
- Escrow. An account administered under its governing agreement to handle applicable journey payments. Funding and unused-fund treatment depend on the selected program and documents.
- Match. The agreed pairing of Intended Parents and a prospective Surrogate. A match does not replace clinic medical clearance.
Use the glossary as a starting point
Some abbreviations can mean different things in different settings. Keep a short list of unfamiliar terms from your own records and bring it to the relevant professional. Ask for a written explanation when the meaning affects a decision, payment, or treatment instruction.
The surrogacy journey overview shows how these people and stages fit together. Your Care Team can help direct a question when you are unsure whether it belongs with the agency, clinic, escrow provider, or attorney.
