Menstruation Flashcards
episodic uterine bleeding in response to cyclic hormonal changes
Menstrual cycle
Purpose:
- to bring an ovum to maturity
- renew a uterine tissue bed that will be necessary for the ova’s growth should it be fertilized.
Menstrual cycle
Average length of the woman’s menstrual cycle
28 days to be as short as 23 days or as long as 35 days
normal, regular menstruation that lasts for few days (usually 3-5 days, but anywhere from 2-7 days is considered normal)
Eumenorrhea
the first menstruation. It is an event that signifies the end of puberty and beginning of reproductive years of woman depending on conditions such as heredity, nutrition, race.
Menarche
infrequent or irregular ovulation
Oligoovulation
absence of ovulation
Anovulation
very little flow (less than 10ml)
Hypermenorrhea
regular cycles with intervals of 21 days or fewer
Polymenorrhea
irregular uterine bleeding; usually occurs between regular menstrual period
Metrorrhagia
abnormal uterine bleeding. Bleeding between monthly periods, and when the period is extremely heavy and/or prolonged.
Menometrorrhagia
is the absence of menstruation, often defined as missing one or more menstrual periods. Or months without menses (in the absence of pregnancy)during a woman’s reproductive years
Amenorrhea
is the medical term in infrequent menstrual periods (fewer than 76-80 periods in a year)
Oligomenorrhea
is characterized by the recurrence of painful cramps during menstruation
Dysmenorrhea
Physiology of menstruation
- Hypothalamus
- Pituitary gland
- Ovaries
- Uterus
a hormone active early in the cycle that is responsible for maturation of the ovum
Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)
a hormone that becomes most active at the midpoint of the cycle and is responsible for ovulation, or release of the mature egg cell from the ovary
Luteinizing hormone (LH)
stimulates growth of the uterine lining during the second half of the menstrual cycle
Luteinizing hormone (LH)
are called gonadotropic hormones because they cause growth in the gonads
FSH & LH
occurs 14 days before the end of their cycle
Ovulation
It illustrates changes that occur monthly as a result of stimulation from the estrogen and progesterone produced by ovaries.
Uterus
Phases of Menstrual Cycle
- Proliferative Phase
- Secretory Phase
- Ischemic Phase
The ovary begin to produce estrogen (in the follicular fluid, under the direction of the pituitary FSH), the endometrium begins to proliferate so rapidly the thickness of the endometrium increases as much as eightfold from day 5 to day 14.
Proliferative Phase
After ovulation, the formation of progesterone in the corpus luteum (under the direction of LH) causes the glands of the uterine endometrium to become corkscrew or twisted in appearance and dilated with quantities of glycogen and mucin.
Secretory Phase
With the withdrawal of progesterone, the endometrium of the uterus begins to degenerate (about 24 or day 25 of the cycle). The capillaries rupture, with minute hemorrhages, and the endometrium slough off.
Ischemic Phase
A menstrual flow contains only _______ of blood
30-80ml
An interesting property of a cervical mucus just before ovulation when estrogen levels are high is the ability to form fern like patterns on a microscope slide when allowed to dry. This pattern is known as:
arborization or ferning
stretching a mucus sample between thumb and finger or it can be tested in an examining room by smearing a cervical mucus specimen on a slide and stretching the mucus between the slide and cover slip
Spinnbarkeit Test
a multidimensional phenomenon that includes feelings, attitude and actions
Sexuality
Has both biologic and cultural diversity components. It encompasses and gives direction to a person’s physical, emotional, social and intellectual responses throughout life
Sexuality
The sexual response cycle
- Excitement
- Plateau
- Orgasm
- Resolution
occurs when physical and psychological stimulation (sight, sound, emotion, or thought) that causes parasympathetic nerve stimulation. This leads to arterial dilation and venous constriction in the genital area. The resulting increased blood supply leads to vasocongestion and increasing muscular tension
Excitement
is reached just before orgasm
Plateau
It is the shortest stage in the sexual response cycle. Occurs when stimulation proceeds through the plateau stage to a point at which a vigorous contraction of muscles in the pelvic area expels or dissipates blood and fluid from the area of congestion. The average number of contractions for the woman is 8-15 contractions at intervals of 1 every 0.8 seconds. In men, muscle contractions surrounding the seminal vessels and prostate projects semen into the proximal urethra.
Orgasm
is a 30-minute period during which the external and internal genital organs return to an unaroused state
Resolution
occurs during which further orgasm is impossible
Refractory period
referring to an individual’s conception of themselves
Sexual identity
referring to actual sexual acts performed by the individual
Sexual behavior
referring to “fantasies, attachments and longing”
Sexual orientation
refers how one thinks of oneself in terms of whom one is sexually and romantically attracted to
Sexual identity
is the term used to chromosomal sexual development: male (XY) female (XX)
Biological sex
is the inner sense a person has to being male or female, which may be the same as or different from biologic gender
Gender identity
refers to the behavior a person exhibits, which may or may not be the same as the person’s identity or sex assigned at birth
Gender expression
an enduring pattern of attraction, emotional, romantic, sexual or some combination of these to the opposite sex, the same sex or both sexes and the genders that accompany them
Sexual orientation
overlap with sexual orientation, but is distinguished in psychological research. A person who identifies as bisexual, for example, may sexually prefer one sex over the other.
Sexual preference
if they achieve sexual satisfaction from both same-sex and heterosexual relationship
Bisexual
is someone who finds sexual fulfillment with a member of the opposite gender
Heterosexual
is someone who finds sexual fullfillment with a member of his or her own sex
Homosexual
male identified individual’s who are sexually attracted to female partners
Gay
female identified individuals who are sexually attracted to women
Lesbian
Men who have sex with men
MSM
women who sex with women
WSW
when an individual feels their gender and their sex match
Cisgender
when an individual feels theoir gender and their sex do not match
Transgender
is the realization one’s physical sex and gender are mismatched, which can cause a lot of stress and anxiety
Gender dysphoria
male to female transition; usually prefers female pronouns
MTF
female to male transition; usually of estrogen and antiandrogens for MTF individuals and testosterone for FTM individuals to gain characteristics of their gender identity
FTM
surgical procedures to change body characteristics to match an individual’s gender identity
Gender affirmation surgery
Factors affecting sexuality
- Biological
- Genetic factors
- Psychological & social factors
