Human Sexuality Units 3, 4, 12, & 13

What are the external structures of male reproductive anatomy and their physiological functions?

The penis (which engorges with blood via vascular dilation to create an erection) and the scrotum (which houses, supports, and protects the testes).

What are the internal structures of male reproductive anatomy and their physiological functions?

The testes (where sperm and testosterone are produced), duct system (epididymis, vas deferens), seminal vesicles, prostate gland, and Cowper’s (bulbourethral) glands (which secrete seminal fluid to mix with sperm to form semen).

What are the external structures of female reproductive anatomy and their physiological functions?

Collectively known as the vulva (the external genitalia/covering, which includes the mons veneris, labia majora, labia minora, and clitoris).

What are the internal structures of female reproductive anatomy and their physiological functions?

The ovaries (produce eggs/ova and female sex hormones), fallopian tubes (site of fertilization), uterus (where a fetus implants and develops), and vagina (canal for birth and intercourse).

What is Stage 1 of Masters and Johnsons human sexual response cycle?

Excitement, which is the initial phase marked by increased muscle tension, elevated heart rate, and initial blood flow to the genitals (causing vaginal lubrication in individuals with a uterus or a penile erection in individuals with a penis).

What is Stage 2 of Masters and Johnsons human sexual response cycle?

Plateau, which is a period of high, steady sexual arousal where physiological responses peak further and remain stable just prior to climax.

What is Stage 3 of Masters and Johnsons human sexual response cycle?

Orgasm, which is the climax of the cycle characterized by rhythmic, involuntary muscular contractions throughout the pelvic region and genital ducts (such as the muscular expulsion phase of ejaculation in men).

What is Stage 4 of Masters and Johnsons human sexual response cycle?

Resolution, which is the final phase where the body gradually returns to an unaroused, relaxed, normal state.

What is the core underlying assumption of Natural Family Planning (methods used to determine the fertile period)?

That pregnancy can only occur if intercourse happens during the brief window each month (typically 1 to 2 weeks) when an ovulated egg is viable, and that this fertile window can be accurately tracked.

What are the specific mechanisms used in Natural Family Planning to track the fertile window?

Tracking calendar cycles, charting basal body temperature (noting a slight post-ovulation rise), and observing changes in cervical mucus (which becomes clear, stretchy, and egg-white-like during ovulation).

What are the benefits of internal and external condoms?

They are barrier methods that protect against both unintended pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections (STIs/HIV), are readily accessible, and have no hormonal side effects.

What are the limitations of internal and external condoms?

They require correct and consistent use every time, rely on user or partner cooperation, and can occasionally slip, break, or tear.

What was the legal and constitutional reasoning behind the 1973 Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision?

The ruling was based on the constitutional right to privacy, derived from personal liberty under the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, which the Court found broad enough to encompass a pregnant person's fundamental decision whether or not to terminate a pregnancy.

What is the mechanism of action for morning-after pills (emergency contraception)?

They function before pregnancy occurs by supplying high doses of hormones (like levonorgestrel) that delay or prevent ovulation, stopping an egg from being released or fertilized. They have no effect on an established pregnancy.

What is the mechanism of action for abortion pills (medication abortion)?

They function after pregnancy is established using a two-drug regimen: mifepristone blocks progesterone (the hormone essential to maintain pregnancy) to break down the uterine lining, and misoprostol causes uterine contractions to empty the uterus.

What are the medical characteristics and implications of a breech birth?

Occurs when a fetus is positioned bottom- or feet-first rather than head-first near full term. While it requires specialized delivery care (often a Cesarean section), it remains a normal intrauterine pregnancy.

What are the medical characteristics and implications of an ectopic pregnancy?

Occurs when a fertilized egg implants outside the uterus (most commonly in a fallopian tube). This is a critical medical emergency because the embryo cannot develop normally outside the uterus, posing a severe, life-threatening risk of hemorrhage.

What is In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) and how does it work?

A primary assisted reproductive technology (ART) where eggs are surgically retrieved from the ovaries, combined with sperm in a laboratory dish for fertilization, and the resulting embryos are subsequently transferred into the uterus.

What are the primary stated goals of contraceptives?

To prevent unwanted or unintended pregnancies, allow individuals and couples to plan the timing and spacing of children, and provide people with control over their reproduction and bodily autonomy.

How can timing errors cause issues with home pregnancy tests?

Testing too early, before the body has produced detectable levels of the pregnancy hormone hCG, can yield a false negative result.

What user errors can affect the accuracy of home pregnancy tests?

Misinterpreting test lines or reading the test results outside of the designated time window specified in the instructions (such as confusing an evaporation line for a positive result).

What is a biochemical loss, and how does it relate to home pregnancy tests?

A very early miscarriage that occurs shortly after implantation. Sensitive home pregnancy tests can detect these very early chemical pregnancies, which can cause unexpected emotional distress when a positive test is followed by bleeding.