NOTES on the process
of conception/fertilization
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Sperm, the male reproductive
cells, are produced daily in the man's testes (he has 2 of
them), then the sperm mature and are stored in the epididymis.
Upon ejaculation, the sperm travel through the vas deferens
and the urethra out of the penis.
-
Semen is a combination of sperm
and other "helpful" fluids. There are between 100 - 400
million (!) sperm cells in the 1/2 teaspoon of ejaculate. Each sperm
cell contains the 23 chromosomes necessary to fertilize a woman's
reproductive cell, the egg (which also has 23).
-
Before a man ejaculates, there
is a little bit of "pre-cum" that also contains sperm cells
and can impregnate a woman's egg cell.
-
Eggs are matured in the follicles
of a woman's ovary (she has two) and one bursts into the fallopian,
AKA uterine, tube once per month (called ovulation). If the
sperm enters the fallopian tube at this time, fertilization
can occur, forming a zygote.
-
The estrogen and progesterone
released by the ovary thicken the lining of the uterus with
blood cells, so that the uterus is ready for an embryo to implant
and start growing into a fetus. If no fertilization happens,
the egg disintegrates & the uterine lining falls out (this is
called menstruation).
TYPES OF BIRTH CONTROL
How do they work?! By interfering with conception.
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PHYSICAL BARRIERS
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CHEMICAL METHODS
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BEHAVIORAL METHODS
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condoms
diaphragms
tubal ligation
vasectomy
IUD's
implant devices
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spermicides
injections
douche
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abstinence
rhythm method
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