Reproductive Health, Family Planning, and Contraceptives

• Reproductive Health {RH} - it refers to the state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease relating to the reproductive system and to its functions and processes
• Family Planning - a program that provides information and a means for couples and individuals to have the desired number of children that they can responsibly raise. (helps in the spacing of childbirth)
• Responsible Parenthood - Parents plan and work to meet the goals of their family. They plan the desired number spacing, and timing of their children based on their health status,socio-economic concerns and religious convictions. Parents respond to the needs of their children.
• Parenthood - is generally considered as a natural outcome of marriage.It is about raising children and supporting their needs financially, morally, educationally etc.
• Fecundity - the biological capacity of a man or woman to have children at a future time
• Fertility - the realization of the reproductive potential or fecundity. It is the actual birth performance as measured by the number of offspring
• Sterility/Infertility - the inability to have children
• Heredity - one factor influencing of the innate ability to reproduce is the relative fecundity of one’s ancestors
• Health - a person with a certain innate reproducing capacity has the highest possible fecundity when he/she is in a state of vigorous health
• Age - childbearing is a function primarily of young adults. Declines in middle ages
• Ovulation Cycle - the human female produces ova periodically. When couples time their copulation during this Period, pregnancy may result.
• Breastfeeding - After a woman has given birth, and she does not breastfeed the child, the menstrual cycle normally begins in about two months and the ovulation cycle two months later still. Delayed ovulation means delay in the next pregnancy.
• Pregnancy Wastage - refers to abortion, miscarriage, and stillbirths
• Miscarriage - refers to the expulsion of the fetus from the fourth to the sixth months of pregnancy
• Spontaneous Abortion - the emptying of the pregnant uterus long before the fetus can survive by itself during the first three months of pregnancy
• Stillbirth - occurs when the fetus dies in the mother’s womb before it is delivered
• Mons pubis - pubic hair
• Labia majora - bigger lip
• Labia minora - smaller/inner lip
• Clitoris -  pleasure center of your reproductive anatomy
• Hymen - opening part of the vagina
• Ovaries - storage of the egg cells
• Uterus (womb) - where the fetus lives and survives for 9 months
• Fallopian tube - it is where the egg and sperm cell unite
• Penis - male organ used during copulation or sexual intercourse. It has three parts, root, body or shaft and glans.
• Testes - produce the sperms and are responsible for making testosterone the primary male sex hormone, is the organ where the sperm cells are manufactured.
• Testosterone - responsible for producing male secondary sex characteristics.
• Smegma - a smelly cheese-like substance composed of oily secretions and dead cells from the glans ,will accumulate causing bacteria to invade and cause infection of the glans
• Scrotum - covers and protects the testes
• Epididymis - a small coiled tube attached to the upper part of each testicle, where the sperms are stored for as long as six weeks while they mature.
• Ectopic Pregnancy - a pregnancy in which the fetus develops outside the uterus, typically in a fallopian tube
• Birth Control - refers to the procedures the couple can use to prevent the birth of the child.
• Contraception - a specific term used to prevent the fertilization of the meeting of the sperm and egg cell.
• Natural Method - the focus is to determine the time the mother ovulates or releases her egg cell.
• Artificial Method - the couple will use contraceptives to prevent fertilization.
• Calendar or rhythm method  - Means abstaining sex during the time of a woman's cycle when she is likely to be fertile. This method is based on the mother's menstrual cycle which is 28 days.
• Basal Body Temperature  - This method is based on the rise of temperature of the mother during her ovulation or releases of egg cells.
• Withdrawal  - This is considered as the oldest method of contraception. Refers to withdrawing the penis from the vagina before ejaculation occurs.
• Cervical Mucus Method  - This method requires the mother to evaluate her daily mucus discharge from the cervix. If the mucus becomes clear and watery, the woman is not safe and should abstain from sexual intercourse.
• Pills - contains synthetic hormones which are taken orally by the mother to prevent ovulation.