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interruption (termination) of pregnancy.
refrain from doing something such as having sexual intercourse.
refraining from sexual intercourse altogether.
the period of psychological and social development between childhood and adulthood.
become legal parents of a child whose biological parents (the individuals who physically conceived and delivered the child) cannot or choose not to keep the child.
amniotic fluid
the fluid in which the fetus grows that provides extra protection against physical injury.
artificial insemination
the injection of semen into the vagina or uterus by a method other than sexual intercourse in order to cause pregnancy.
barrier methods
ways to prevent pregnancy by blocking the union of sperm and egg.
birth control
preventing pregnancy.
birth control pill
contraceptive pill that prevents ovulation, or the release of an egg from the ovary.
a bag of tissue that holds urine flowing from the kidneys.
cervical cap
a contraceptive device that fits snugly against the cervix.
the opening of the uterus to the vagina.
chemical barrier
a form of contraception using a chemical that through chemical action prevents pregnancy.
surgical removal of the foreskin from the penis.
a highly sensitive, erectile organ of the female, external sex organ.
a sheath often made of latex that covers the penis.
using various effective methods of preventing pregnancy.
tightening of muscles in the uterus that force the baby out during labor and delivery.
corpus luteum
(“yellow body”) empty follicle.
cycle of dependency
a thin latex dome fitted to cover a woman's cervix and prescribed by a physician. The diaphragm is used with spermicidal jelly.
the female equivalent of the male sperm, known also as an ovum.
growing fertilized egg implanted in the endometrium.
endocrine glands
structures that produce the male hormone testosterone.
the uterine wall.
environmental degradation
the breakdown of the environment.
long ducts attached to each testicle that transport sperm.
the hardening and enlarging of a penis caused by increased blood flow into the penis.
hormone that helps develop and maintain the female reproductive system.
Fallopian tubes
tubes that lead from the ovaries to the uterus through which ova (eggs) pass.
family planning
determining when to have a child, and how many, by taking active steps, rather than letting it just happen.
able to reproduce.
fertility rate
the number of children born to a couple in a given society.
the process in which a sperm unites with an egg.
the name given to an embryo after eight weeks.
a group of cells in the ovary that contain an egg surrounded by fluid.
skin covering the glans or head of the penis.
external sex organs.
head of the penis.
internally produced chemical substances that control certain body functions.
a thin ring of tissue that partially covers the vaginal opening.
ideal failure rate
the number of women who will become pregnant using a birth control method when the method is used absolutely correctly and consistently.
the killing of children.
the inability to produce offspring.
in vitro fertilization
fertilizing the mother's eggs (or a donor's eggs) with the father's sperm (or a donor's sperm) outside the body in a special dish.
IUD, or intrauterine device
contraceptive device about the size of a small paper clip that a physician inserts in the uterus.
contraction of the uterus during childbirth.
major lips (labia majora)
the outer folds of skin that protect the vaginal opening.
maternal mortality rate
the number of women who die as a result of pregnancy.
menstrual period
the period of time (28 days) during which the egg develops and is discharged.
minor lips (labia minora)
the inner folds of skin that protect the vaginal opening.
natural interruption of pregnancy.
“morning after” pill
chemical or hormone taken after sexual intercourse that interrupts the pregnancy. The latest drug (called RU 486) will interrupt pregnancy in most cases if taken within 10 days of a missed period and then is followed by an injection of progesterone.
thin matchstick-like rods containing progestin that are placed under a woman's skin by a doctor where they stay for up to five years providing 99% protection from pregnancy.
oral contraception
birth control taken by mouth.
the pleasurable culmination of sexual arousal in both sexes (accompanied by ejaculation in the male).
the organ in which eggs are formed and stored.
a situation in which the number of people in the world is more than the resources available can successfully sustain them.
release of an egg through the ovary wall.
peer group
people who are the same age or in the same grade.
pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)
a serious infection of the reproductive tract often leading to infertility.
the male organ through which sperm is delivered and urination occurs.
the part of the uterus that sustains the life of the fetus.
babies born before eight months or that weigh less than 5 pound 8 ounces (2,500 grams).
prenatal care
medical care during pregnancy.
in favor of abortion as an option for all women.
opposed to abortion.
hormone which, with estrogen, helps develop and maintain the female reproductive system.
prostate gland
the organ that contributes fluid to the content of semen.
period of physical and sexual development during which males and females become sexually mature and able to produce children.
pubic hair
the hair surrounding the external sex organs or genitals.
the process of producing young.
the pouch containing the two testes of the male.
the thick, white fluid containing the male sperm.
seminal vesicle
a reservoir-like structure containing fluid that empties during ejaculation.
sex organs
the parts of the reproductive system.
sexual intercourse
the act involving the male inserting his penis into the female's vagina (penis and vagina are male and female sex organs).
sexually active
engaging in sexual intercourse.
your sense of yourself as a sexual being.
sexually transmitted diseases (STDs)
infectious diseases that are acquired through sexual activities.
negative consequences.
the male reproductive cell.
a contraceptive with chemicals that kill sperm.
inability to produce sperm (male) or eggs (female).
the process by which males are made incapable of producing sperm and females incapable of producing eggs.
surrogate mother
a woman who becomes pregnant through artificial insemination and then bears the child for the couple.
the organs where sperm cells are produced.
a hormone essential for the development of sperm and male characteristics.
each three-month period during pregnancy.
typical failure rate
the average number of women using a birth control method such as the birth control pill who will become pregnant as a result of human error.
umbilical cord
the fetus's lifeline to the mother that connects the circulatory system of the fetus to that of the mother through the placenta.
the tube that carries urine, and in the case of the male, also semen, to the outside of the body.
urethral opening
opening to the urethra.
the internal sexual organ in women in which the embryo, and then the fetus, grows.
the passage leading from the uterus to the outside of the female body, the female organ of sexual intercourse.
vas deferens
the tube that carries the sperm to the penis.
the ability to survive outside the mother's body.
removal of the penis from the vagina before ejaculation.
zero population growth
the situation in which the number of children born is no larger than the number of people who die during the same period of time.

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Feb 23, 2012

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