LESSON 5

THE PROCESS OF REPRODUCTION

Lesson Objectives:
When you finish reading this chapter, you should be able to:
1. define fertilization, conception and pregnancy;
2. explain how pregnancy occurs and its prevention; and
3. identify the complications of early pregnancy in the growing adolescent.
Definition of Terms:
Ovulation - the process when a mature ovum is released from the ovary and travels to the fallopian tube
for possible fertilization.
Fertilization - union of the sperm and the ovum.
Pregnancy - the process when an offspring develops within the mother's womb.
Introduction
Although human beings are fully sexually differentiated at birth, the differences between males and
females are accentuated at puberty. This is when the reproductive system matures, secondary sexual
characteristics develop, and the bodies of males and females appear more distinctive.
Female puberty usually begins at about 8-13 years of age; the reproduction maturation of boys lags
about two years behind that of girls. The physical changes of female puberty include breast
development, rounding of the hips and buttocks, growth of the hair in the pubic region and the
underarm, and the start of menstruation.
How does one ovulate?
The major landmark of puberty among females is the onset of the menstrual cycle, the monthly
ovulation cycle that leads to menstruation (loss of blood and tissues lining the uterus) in the absence of
pregnancy. The menstrual cycle is from the first day of a period until the day before the next period
starts.
Normally, it lasts around 28 days, on the average, but can be as short as 21 or as long as
40. Whatever the length, ovulation will happen about 10-16 days before the start of the next period.

How does pregnancy occur?

For pregnancy to proceed, the sperm needs to meet up with an egg. Pregnancy officially starts when a fertilized egg
implants in the lining of the uterus. Pregnancy happens 2-3 weeks after sexual intercourse. This is redundant so it
was it redacted.
Conception is the process that begins with fertilization of an egg by the sperm and ends with implantation. When a
male and female have a sexual intercourse, the penis fits into the woman's vagina. Ejaculation or coming releases
the sperm via the penis into the vagina. The sperm swims through the female's cervix, into the womb, and finally into
the fallopian tubes. Once the egg or ovum has been released into the fallopian tube, hundreds of sperm swim up to
reach it. Finally, the sperm penetrates the egg in the fallopian tube where fertilization takes place and eventually,
becomes an embryo. Once the embryo (fertilized egg) attaches to the inner lining of the uterus (endothelium), a fetus
develops within five to seven days from a ball of cells floating in the uterus, which officially begins pregnancy.
A normal pregnancy lasts 37-42 weeks (nine months). This is measured from the first day of the last period.
Pregnancy is discussed in terms of trimesters (three-month periods), since each trimester is very different from the
rest. After eight weeks, the embryo is officially referred to as a fetus.
DAY 2
DAY 1
First
Cleavage
2-cell stage
DAY 3-4
4-cell stage
8-cell
uncompacted
morula
Fertilized
Egg (zygote)
DAY 4
8-cell compacted morala
DAY 5
DAY 0
Ovary
Early blastocyst
DAY 6-7
Ovulatiop
Oocyte
Late-stage
blastocyst
(hatching)
Implantation of the
blastocyst

What can be done to prevent teenage pregnancy?

Teen pregnancy has a tremendous impact on the educational, social, and economic lives of young people. Early
parenting reduces the likelihood that a young woman will complete high school and pursue the necessary post-
secondary education needed to compete in today's economy. Although there is a decline in teenage pregnancy rates
it has been steady over the past two decades. Teens are still engaging in sexual activity and teen girls are still getting
pregnant.

Chart for Contraception: Low cost, Do not Can be

Male Rolled over the 80 - 85 percent easily accessible, use with oil- effective in
Condom: penis and reduces risk based lubricants prevention of
rubber sheath that fits of STDs/ STIs such as creams STIs and
over the penis and lotions HIVIAIDS
Implant of None
Implantable Continuous release Not known Continuous birth the capsule in the
Hormone of hormones control for five upper arm; done
Device: years by the doctor
continuous release of
hormone Allows the woman Theoretically No cost and Woman must None
Calendar method: to keep track of 85 percent but in under the control keep track with
woman predicts the day "safe" days for sex reality about 60 of the woman the help of a
of ovulation by keeping a percent calendar
calendar of the length or
each
menstrual cycle
Sterilization: vasectomyPassageway for theTheoretically Highly effective, Doctor performs None
fro males and tubal sperm or the egg is 100 percent, but permanent, and an operation
ligation for females surgically tied exceptions have one time expense
been known to take
place
*Some of the methods are intrusive in nature and have side effects that maybe harmful. The user must examine its
pros and cons before making a choice.

Type of How it Works Effectiveness Instruction for Use Benefits

Contraceptive Benefits Other than
Method Contraceptio
n
Birth Control Alters natural 99- Theoretically Taken
Pill: contains synthetic ovulation cycle 100 Low cost, easily None
oestrogen percent, but available, daily after menstrual
women have and conceived cycle begins
on controlled by the "pill"
the woman
Birth Control Not known Given by the doctor None
Injection: given in the first
days of the menstruation
and then every
2-3 months
Withdrawal: Prevents the Theoretically, Dependent on the man None
removal of the penis from semen from going No cost
the vagina before into the vagina 85 percent
ejaculation under the
but in reality,
control of
about 70
the man and
percent
the woman involved
Intrauterine Inserted inside Theoretically Inserted by the doctor in None
Device (IUD) the uterus by a Long- the first few days of
doctor 95-98 percent menstruation;
lasting and relatively should be examined
inexpensive every few months
What are the health effects of early pregnancy in the growing adolescent?
There are serious health risks associated with early pregnancy because a young woman's body is not mature enough
to handle bearing a child. When a woman is under 20, the pelvic area (the bone surrounding the birth canal) is still
growing and may not be large enough to allow the baby to easily pass through the birth canal. This can result in what
is called an"obstructed labor". Obstructed labor is dangerous to both mosher and child and require n elourained
medical professionals. Under the best circumstamade in young woman, y help of aired me cited a"cacsarean section"
in which a cutis made in the abdomen s the baby is removed directly from the uterus. A major contributor to high
maternal mong rhe baby is remen pregnancy, Ifa young woman is not phoi loss, i she is luckerus may th duess to
lesenres, and she may die because of blood b. ys his lucky and sunn chering the she might face fistula due to
prolonged labor, A babys vagi can also te th the ne causing a hole between the vagina and bladder or between the
vagina and the recen ragina sinihat is known as a fistula. Unless she has an operation to f hemproblem, op t rest of
her life, she will not be able to hold her urine or feces and this will make her a socia
outcast.
In addition, younger women who become pregnant face a higher risk than olde women in developing a number of
other complications. These complications can be any a a combination of the following manifestations:
• excessive vomiting;
o severe anemia;
o hypertension;
o convulsions;
o difficulty in breast feeding (if the girl is too young to produce milk);
o premature and low birth weight babies;
o infection;
o prolonged labor; and
o high maternal mortality or death.
The risk of having serious complications during pregnancy or childbirth is much higher for girls in their early teens
than for older women. Ages of 20-30 years are the safest period of women's life for child bearing. The major
difference between girls in their early teens and older women is that girls aged 12-16 years are still growing. The
pelvis, or the bony birth canal, of a girl can grow wider by as much as 20% between the time she begins menstruating
and the time she is 16 years old. This widening of the pelvis can make the crucial difference between a safe delivery
and obstructed labor.
It is not surprising, therefore, to find that obstructed labor, due to disproportion between the size of the infant's head
and the mother's pelvis, is most common among very young mothers. The consequences of such obstructed labor
may be death due to numerous complications or lifetime crippling conditions of vesico-vaginal fistula.