Key Area 2.3 - The Biology of Controlling Fertility Flashcards

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1
Q

Describe the difference in fertility between men and woman.

A

Men - constantly fertile due to relatively constant levels of pituitary hormones.
Women - fertility is cyclical and the most fertile period is from a few days before until 1-2 days after ovulation.

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2
Q

What can the time of ovulation be estimated by?

A
  • The number of days after menstruation
  • a slight rise in body temperature on the day of ovulation
  • thinning of cervical mucus
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3
Q

What can female infertility be due to?

A

Failure to ovulate which is usually the result of a hormone imbalance.

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4
Q

What can be used to stimulate ovulation?

A

Ovulatory or fertility drugs

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5
Q

What do some ovulatory drugs prevent?

A

The negative feedback effect of oestrogen on FSH secretion.

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6
Q

What can ovulatory drugs cause?

A

Super ovulation, which can result in multiple births.

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7
Q

How are ovulatory drugs and IVF related?

A

The drugs can be used to collect ova for in vitro fertilisation programmes.

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8
Q

What is artificial insemination?

A
  • A treatment in which semen is inserted into the female reproductive tract without intercourse having taken place.
  • It is useful when the male has a low sperm count.
  • Involved collecting and combining several samples of semen over a period of time.
  • If the male partner is infertile sperm from a donor may be used.
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9
Q

What is IVF?

A
  • Involves the surgical removal of eggs from ovaries after hormone stimulation, mixing with sworn to achieve fertilisation, incubation of the zygotes and uterine implantation.
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10
Q

What can be used during IVF treatment?

A

• ICSI if mature sperm are defective or very low in number
- It involves the head of a sperm being drawn into a needle and injected directly into the egg to achieve fertilisation.
• PGD is used to identify single gene disorders and chromosome abnormalities.

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11
Q

How do methods of contraception work?

A

By preventing fertilisation or implantation.

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12
Q

What is contraception?

A

The intentional prevention of pregnancy by natural or artificial methods.

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13
Q

Name the physical methods of contraception.

A
  • Barrier methods
  • Avoiding fertile periods
  • Intra-uterine devices
  • Sterilisation procedures
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14
Q

What are chemical contraceptives based on?

A

Combinations of synthetic progesterone and oestrogen that mimic negative feedback, preventing the release of FSH/LH, inhibiting follicular development, ovulation and implantation, or causing thickening of the cervical mucus.

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15
Q

Name some economic issues with the use of fertility drugs.

A
  • Should unlimited treatment be available on the NHS?
  • Should health insurance companies be obliged to cover infertility treatment?
  • Could the medical resources be better allocated elsewhere?
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16
Q

Name some legal issues associated with the use of fertility drugs.

A
  • What is the legal status of embryos fertilised in vitro but not transferred?
  • Should embryos not transferred be destroyed? - Is that just abortion?