Reproductive Health Care and Pregnancy

The ability of plants and animals to have offspring or babies is called reproduction. Humans and most animals reproduce by having sex. The system of organs and physical characteristics that are needed for humans to reproduce is called the reproductive system. It is important for this system to be healthy and function properly.

Reproductive Health Care
Reproductive health care is health care that protects the reproductive system and helps it function correctly. It also helps fix or cure it when something goes wrong. Good reproductive health care focuses on prevention and well-being. Many teens - both boys and girls - who are entering or going through puberty, even though they are not having sex, visit their doctor to make sure that their reproductive system is healthy now and to prevent problems later on.

Prenatal and maternity care is reproductive health care for pregnant women and their unborn infants. Prenatal care focuses on the health of the unborn infant. Maternity care focuses on the health of the mother during pregnancy. Health care professionals who specialize in providing prenatal and maternity care are called "obstetrical" physicians and nurses.

Reproductive health care providers also provide birth control to people who are having sex but want to reduce their chances of getting pregnant or who want to wait to try to get pregnant in the future. This is called family planning.

Reproductive health care providers also provide screening and care for people with sexually transmitted diseases, manage severe menstrual cramps, examine unusual growths, and monitor other pains and problems associated with people's reproductive systems. They also provide infertility treatments to people who want to get pregnant but are having trouble doing so.

Pregnancy
Pregnancy starts when an egg is fertilized in the fallopian tube and implants itself in the wall of the uterus. Numerous changes occur in both the mother and her baby from the time of fertilization to the delivery of the infant. Pregnancy usually lasts about 38 weeks (40 weeks from the last menstrual cycle.)

Fertilization
For a female to become pregnant, she must have sexual intercourse around the time she ovulates (releases eggs). During sex, the male releases semen, which contains millions of sperm cells, into the female's vagina.

Sperm cells have tails that allow them to swim up through the cervix, into the uterus and fallopian tubes in search of the egg. When sperm cells meet the egg, the head of one of the sperm releases an enzyme that breaks down a portion of the outside of the egg.

When a sperm cell enters the egg it joins with the egg's nucleus. The nucleus is the "control center" of the egg and contains the cell's DNA. Half of the genetic material comes from the mother and half from the father.

Implantation
Three to four days after fertilization, the embryo moves down the fallopian tube into the uterus where it will "implant" or attach itself to the endometrium (lining of the uterus). If the embryo attaches somewhere else, outside the uterus, such as in a fallopian tube, this can result in an ectopic pregnancy. An ectopic pregnancy is a very serious medical problem. It causes severe pain and bleeding, and is a medical emergency.

Proper nutrition, enough rest, and moderate exercise are especially important during pregnancy. Smoking, drinking alcohol, and taking other drugs can endanger the health of the developing baby and mother.

As soon as someone thinks she is pregnant, it is very important to visit a health care professional. During pregnancy, it is also very important to keep all visits for prenatal care.

For more info on Pregnancy, check out What physical changes happen in the mother?, How does the baby develop?, or What Happens at Birth?

Last revised: April 21, 2008