Nursing Care in Reproduction and Sexuality

Vocabulary flashcards covering reproductive system disturbances, infertility causes, diagnostic procedures, infections, and specific male/female reproductive conditions.

Infertility (Subfertility)

The inability to conceive a child or sustain a pregnancy to birth after at least $1\,year$ of unprotected sex.

Primary Subfertility

A condition where there is no history of conception, meaning there has been no previous conception at all.

Secondary Subfertility

A condition where there has been a previous viable pregnancy but the couple is currently unable to conceive.

Sterility

The inability to conceive because of a known condition, such as the absence of a uterus.

Pretesticular Infertility

Problems or disorders concerning extragonadal endocrine (hypothalamus, pituitary, or adrenals) that affect spermatogenesis or result in low sperm count.

Testicular Infertility

Primary defects in the testis concerning the shape and morphology of the sperm.

Post-testicular Infertility

Factors affecting the ability of the sperm to travel from the site of production (the testicle) to leave the body in ejaculation.

Mittelschmerz

Lower abdominal pain that a woman may experience as a symptom of ovulation.

Semen Analysis

A diagnostic test for male infertility where semen is examined after $2$ to $4\,days$ of sexual abstinence; it assesses volume (average $2.5$ to $5.0\,mL$) and sperm count (minimum $20\,million$ spermatozoa per milliliter).

Erectile Dysfunction (Impotence)

The inability to achieve an erection; it is primary if never achieved and secondary if achieved in the past but now difficult.

Premature Ejaculation

Ejaculation that occurs before penetration, often attributed to psychological causes.

Turner’s syndrome

A genetic abnormality (hypogonadism) in which there are no ovaries to produce ova, representing a common cause of anovulation.

Basal Body Temperature (BBT) monitoring

The process of recording a woman's temperature each morning before activity for at least $4\,months$ to determine ovulation patterns, typically showing a dip of about $0.5^{\circ} F$ at ovulation.

Sonohysterography

An ultrasound technique designed for inspecting the uterus and fallopian tubes for tubal patency.

Transvaginal Hydrolaparoscopy

A procedure that allows direct visualization of the female peritoneal cavity.

Uterine endometrial biopsy

A test used for ovulation or to reveal endometrial problems such as a luteal phase defect.

Canalization of fallopian tube

A nonsurgical procedure to clear a blockage in the fallopian tube using a speculum and a small plastic tube inserted into the cervix.

Adhesiolysis

The surgical removal of adhesions that can form from abdominal trauma or as a side effect of abdominal surgery.

Artificial Insemination

The instillation of sperm into the female reproductive tract (cervix or uterus) either from a husband or a donor to aid conception.

Surrogate mothers

Women who agree to carry a pregnancy to term for an infertile couple.

Sexual Dysfunction

A condition occurring at any phase of the sexual response cycle that prevents an individual from experiencing satisfaction.

Dyspareunia

Pain experienced during sexual intercourse.

Vaginitis

An inflammation of the vagina resulting in discharges, itching, and pain, often caused by yeast infections, bacteria, or trichomoniasis.

Candida albicans

The fungal organism usually responsible for yeast infections in the vagina, often triggered by antibiotics, hormone therapy, or diabetes.

Bacterial vaginosis

A type of vaginitis resulting from a change in normal vaginal bacteria where anaerobes outnumber lactobacilli.

Atrophic Vaginitis

The thinning of vaginal tissues and reduction in moisture due to menopause.

Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID)

An ascending infection in the upper genital tract (uterus, fallopian tubes, or ovaries) commonly caused by gonorrhea and chlamydia.

Prostatitis

Inflammation or swelling of the prostate gland often characterized by dysuria, nocturia, and pain in the abdomen or groin.

Epididymitis

Inflammation of the tube at the back of the testicle, often caused by UTI in older men or STI in men under $35\,years$ old.

Phimosis

The inability to retract the foreskin from the glans of the penis.

Balanitis

Inflammation of the phimotic foreskin or the glans of the penis.

Paraphimosis

A urologic emergency where the retracted foreskin cannot be returned to its normal position, potentially leading to gangrene.

Hypospadias

An abnormal ventral (underside) placement of the urethral opening on the penis.

Chordee

A downwards curvature of the penis associated with hypospadias.

Bladder Exstrophy

A severe defect involving the musculoskeletal, urinary, reproductive, and sometimes intestinal systems.

Epispadias

The failure of the urethra to close, resulting in an opening at the dorsal (top) of the penis.

Cryptorchidism

The failure of one or both testes to descend through the inguinal canal into the scrotum.

Orchiopexy

A surgical procedure to move an undescended testicle into the scrotum, typically done between $6$ and $24\,months$ of life.

Hydrocele

The presence of peritoneal fluid in the scrotum between the parietal and visceral layers of the tunica vaginalis.

Varicocele

The elongation, dilation, and tortuosity of the veins of the spermatic cord, often described as a "wormlike mass" above the testes.

Lumpectomy

A surgery to remove cancer or other abnormal tissue from the breast while preserving the surrounding tissue.

Mastectomy

A surgery to remove all breast tissues as a treatment for or prevention of breast cancer.

Fibrocystic Breast

Nodular or glandular breast tissue that feels lumpy or ropelike in texture, often related to estrogen levels.

Fibroadenoma

Solid, non-cancerous breast lumps that are firm, smooth, and rubbery, most common in women aged $15$ to $35$.

Primary Dysmenorrhea

Suprapubic pain during menstruation due to prostaglandin release, typically starting shortly after menarche.

Secondary Dysmenorrhea

Menstrual pain due to a pathologic condition such as PID or endometriosis, usually starting later in life.

Imperforate Hymen

A condition where there is no opening in the hymen, causing menstrual blood to pool in the vagina.

Hymenotomy

A surgical procedure to cut away part of the hymen using a scalpel or laser.

Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS)

A predictable pattern of physical and emotional changes, such as bloating and mood swings, that usually disappear $4\,days$ after menstruation starts.

Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD)

Significant physical and behavioral symptoms, including severe irritability and despair, that interfere with daily living.

Menopausal Syndrome

The stage of life marked by the end of menstrual cycles, diagnosed after $12\,months$ without a period, with an average age of $51$.

Gabapentin

An anticonvulsant drug used to treat vasomotor symptoms (hot flashes) in menopausal women who have contraindications to hormone therapy.

Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH)

Common prostate gland enlargement in older men ($60\,years$ and above) that can block urine flow and cause nocturia.

Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) Test

A diagnostic blood test used in the evaluation of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH).

Transurethral Resection of the Prostate (TURP)

A surgical procedure used for the treatment of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH).