1. Female Reproductive Anatomy

2. The reproductive organs found outside the body are called genitals.
These organs are collectively called the vulva:
Mons pubis
Labia majora (outer lips)
Labia minora (inner lips)
Clitoris
Vaginal opening
Urinary opening

3. Parts of the vulva
Mons pubis: Fatty tissue under the skin that covers the point where the pelvic bones come together.
Labia majora: 2 folds of skin that cushion and protect the vaginal and urinary openings.
Labia minora: 2 smaller, folds of skin lying within the labia majora
Clitoris: Located under the labia minora. Only known function is sexual pleasure.

4. Females have 3 openings in the genital area
Urinary opening: opening of the urethra, where urine leaves the body.
Vaginal opening: larger opening located between the urinary opening and the anus. Menstrual fluid and babies leave the body through this opening. Also where penis would enter during sexual intercourse.
Hymen: Thin tissue membrane that stretches across the vaginal opening.
Anus: where a bowel movement leaves the body.

5. Inside the body
Vagina: (birth canal) muscular tunnel about 3-4 inches long. It extends from the opening of the uterus to the external opening in the vulva.
Does 3 things:
Provides a way for menstrual fluid to leave a woman’s body.
Receives the man’s penis during sexual intercourse.
Provides a way for the baby to be born.
Uterus: (womb) One of the strongest muscles in the body. It provides a safe and nourishing place where a fertilized egg can grow and develop into a baby.
About the size of a fist, shaped like an upside down pear.

6. Inside the body
Cervix: bottom part of the uterus that dips into the vagina.
The cervix opening is about the diameter of a pencil lead, but can stretch during childbirth to approximately 8 inches.
Fallopian tubes: thread like tubes that come out of each side of the uterus. An egg travels from the ovary through a fallopian tube into the uterus.
If a sperm joins with an egg, it happens in one of the fallopian tubes, and then the fertilized egg continues on to the uterus.

7. Inside the body
Ovaries: produce female hormones called estrogen and progesterone and holds eggs.
Size and shape of an unshelled almond (1 ½ in long)
An egg is as small as the point of a needle
Ovum: the egg
Endometrium: lining of the uterus. Part of this lining is shed during menstruation if pregnancy does not occur.

8. Menstruation
Occurs during puberty, somewhere between ages 9 and 16 for most girls.
Menstrual cycle may vary from 22 to 40 days.
Woman menstruate typically until the age of , when she reaches menopause.
In every menstrual cycle, the lining of the uterus grows thicker to support the possible implantation and development of a fertilized egg. Most of the time, pregnancy doesn’t occur, so the lining is shed during the menstrual period.

9. Menstrual cycle’s 4 stages
Stage1: Menstruation, bleeding occurs. The lining of the uterus flows out of the body through the vagina.
Periods usually last about 3-7 days.
The amount of fluid is about a quarter cup.
1st day of a woman’s period is day 1 of her menstrual cycle.
Stage 2: An egg ripens in an ovary.
Begins when a woman’s period stops.
The lining begins to thicken.
This takes 6-12 days or more.

10. Menstrual cycle’s 4 stages
Stage 3: Ovulation. The midpoint of the cycle.
A mature egg is released into the fallopian tube.
A woman is most likely to become pregnant.
Ovulation occurs 13 to 15 days before a woman’s next period.
The lining of the uterus is ready to support the implanting of a fertilized egg.

11. Menstrual cycle’s 4 stages
Stage 4: The egg travels to the uterus.
Lasts about 14 days.
The uterus is ready to receive a fertilized egg. It takes the egg 5-6 days to reach the uterus.
If the egg has been fertilized, it attaches to the thick, blood-filled lining of the uterus and begins to grow. (the start of pregnancy)
If pregnancy does not occur, the menstrual period will begin again.

12. Male reproductive Anatomy

13. Outside the body The genitals are located outside the body.
Penis: used for urination and is inserted in the vagina during sexual intercourse.
Contains no bones or muscles.
Scrotum: bag of skin that holds the two testicles.
Layers of muscle fibers contract when temperature changes, which is important because sperm production happens best at a temperature a few degrees cooler than normal body temperature.

14. Inside the body
Testicles: produce male hormones (testosterone), which allows males to make sperm, and have interest in sex. It also causes the growth of facial hair and deepening of the voice.
It is normal for one testicle to hang lower than the other.
It’s also normal for one testicle to be slightly larger.
Epididymis: where sperm mature and develop the ability to swim.

15. Inside the body
Vas deferens: mature sperm move into the vas deferens to be stored until ejaculation.
Seminal vesicles: produces a sticky, yellow liquid called seminal fluid, which makes up about 70% of semen.
Gives the sperm energy and helps them move and survive in the female reproductive tract.
Prostate gland: secretes a thin, milky fluid that makes up about 30% of the semen.
Helps sperm swim and protects them in the acidic environment of the female vagina.

16. Inside the body
Urethra: carries both urine and semen out of the body, but never at the same time.
Runs the length of the penis.
During sexual arousal, a valve, or sphincter, closes off the bladder so urine cannot pass through the urethra.

17. Sperm facts
Sperm are produced at an average rate of 1,500 per second per testicle.
Because sperm are so tiny, they account for only 1/10 of the volume of semen.
The average ejaculation consists of about 1 teaspoon of semen, which contains 200 to 500 million sperm.
Sperm can live in a man’s body for up to 6 weeks.
Men cannot run out of sperm, as long as they have one normal testicle

18. Myths Debunked Douching doesn’t prevent pregnancy
You can get pregnant without orgasm
Stand-ups don’t stop sperm
Pregnancy and periods can mix

19. Pulling out is no protection
The pre-ejaculatory fluid produced by the Cowper’s glands may pick up sperm left inside the urethra from previous ejaculations.
Might not be able to control or properly predict ejaculation