Some Diseases of the Human Reproductive System

a. Reproductive Congenital Abnormalities

Congenital abnormalities refer to the differences in features that exist prior to or
at birth. They may be due to some genetic changes, various environmental
factors, or simply of unknown causes. Reproductive congenital disorders pertain
to certain abnormalities that would not allow reproduction to occur.
Intersexuaity describes the condition when a persons genitalia and/or sexual
traits are not clearly male or female
Androgen-sensitivity syndrome, a person who is genetically male develops as a
female due to the inability to utilize the hormone androgen
Cryptorchidism. This genital abnormality is characterized by the absence of one
or both testes from their normal scrotal postion.

B. Cancers
the disease caused by an uncontrolled division of abnormal cells in a part of the
body
Cervical Cancer
Cervical cancer occurs when abnormal cells on the cervix grow out of control.
Some of the risks factors of the disease include smoking and taking birth control
pills. Cervical cancer is caused by a sexually transmitted organism known as the
human papillomavirus,

Symptoms of cervical cancer may include:

Bleeding from the vagina that is not normal, such as bleeding between menstrual periods,
after sex, or after menopause.

Pain in the lower belly or pelvis.

Pain during sex.

Vaginal discharge that isn't normal.

Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer is a disease which only affects men. Cancer begins

to grow in the prostate - a gland in the male reproductive system.

The patient urinates more often

The patient gets up at night more often to urinate

He may find it hard to start urinating

He may find it hard to keep urinating once he has started

There may be blood in the urine

Urination might be painful

Ejaculation may be painful (less common)

Achieving or maintaining an erection may be difficult (less common).

If the prostate cancer is advanced the following symptoms are also possible:

Bone pain, often in the spine (vertebrae), pelvis, or ribs

The proximal part of the femur can be painful

Leg weakness (if cancer has spread to the spine and compressed the spinal cord)

Urinary incontinence (if cancer has spread to the spine and compressed the spinal cord)

Fecal incontinence (if cancer has spread to the spine and compressed the spinal cord).

Causes of prostate cancer

Nobody is really sure of what the specific causes are. There are so many possible factors,
including age, race, lifestyle, medications, and genetics, to name a few.

1) Age
Age is considered as the primary risk factor. The older a man is, the higher is his risk. Prostate
cancer is rare among men under the age of 45, but much more common after the age of 50.

2) Genetics

Statistics indicate that genetics is definitely a factor in prostate cancer risk. It is more common
among certain racial groups - in the USA prostate cancer is significantly more common and also
more deadly among Afro-Americans than White-Americans. A man has a much higher risk of
developing cancer if his identical twin has it. A man whose brother or father had/had prostate
cancer runs twice the risk of developing it, compared to other men.
Studies indicate that the two faulty genes - BRCA 1 and BRCA 2 - which are important risk
factors for breast cancer and ovarian cancer, have also been implicated in prostate cancer risk.
In a study scientists found seven new sites in the human genome that are linked to men's risk of
developing prostate cancer.
Faulty BRCA2 gene linked to aggressive form of prostate cancer - researchers at the The
Institute of Cancer Research, UK, reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology (April 2013
issue) that men who have inherited the faulty BRCA2 gene are more likely to have the fasterspreading type of prostate cancer. The scientists say these men should receive treatment
immediately after diagnosis with surgery or radiation therapy, rather than receive the "watchful
waiting" approach.
Senior author Ros Eeles wrote that experts have already known that those with the faulty
BRCA2 gene have a higher risk of developing prostate cancer. This is the first large study to
demonstrate that the faulty gene is also linked to a faster spread of the disease and poorer
survival.
This new discovery will make some health authorities around the world rethink their policies and
procedures. In the United Kingdom, the National Health Service offers the same prostate cancer
treatment for both carriers and non-carriers of the faulty BRCA2 gene.
Prof. Eeles said "It must make sense to start offering affected men immediate surgery or
radiotherapy, even for early-stage cases that would otherwise be classified as low-risk. We won't
be able to tell for certain that earlier treatment can benefit men with inherited cancer genes until
we've tested it in a clinical trial, but the hope is that our study will ultimately s

C. Infectious diseases of the reproductice system

Gonorrhea
Also called the "clap" or "drip," gonorrhea is a contagious disease transmitted
most often through sexual contact with an infected person. Gonorrhea may
also be spread by contact with infected bodily fluids, so that a mother could
pass on the infection to her newborn during childbirth. Both men and women
can get gonorrhea. The infection is easily spread and occurs most often in
people who have many sex partners.

Gonorrhea is caused by Neisseria gonorrhoeae, a bacterium that can grow

and multiply easily in mucus membranes of the body. Gonorrhea bacteria can
grow in the warm, moist areas of the reproductive tract, including the cervix
(opening to the womb), uterus (womb), and fallopian tubes (egg canals) in
women, and in the urethra (the tube that carries urine from the bladder to
outside the body) in women and men. The bacteria can also grow in the
mouth, throat, and anus

Gonorrhea symptoms in men

Greenish yellow or whitish discharge from the penis

Burning when urinating

Burning in the throat (due to oral sex)

Gonorrhea symptoms in women

Greenish yellow or whitish discharge from the vagina

Lower abdominal or pelvic pain

Burning when urinating

Conjunctivitis (red, itchy eyes)

Bleeding between periods

Syphilis
Syphilis is a highly contagious disease spread primarily by sexual activity, including
oral and anal sex. Occasionally, the disease can be passed to another person
through prolonged kissing or close bodily contact. Although this disease is spread
from sores, the vast majority of those sores go unrecognized. The infected person is
often unaware of the disease and unknowingly passes it on to his or her sexual
partner.
Causes of syphilis

In addition to spread during sexual activity, syphilis can be spread from mother to baby during
pregnancy, referred to as congenital syphilis.
Syphilis during pregnancy can result in a stillborn birth or a low birthweight baby, and if left
untreated, a baby with syphilis can develop cataracts, deafness, or seizures. In some cases,
infants can die from the disease.
Primary syphilis symptoms include:1,2

Initial symptom is one or many painless, firm and round syphilitic sores called chancres

Incubation period is approximately 3 weeks following exposure to the bacteria

Chancres self-resolve within 3 to 6 weeks, but resolution treatment is required to prevent

phase progression.

D. Functional Problems of the Reproductive System

1. Ovulation- from one of the ovaries, an egg is released to the fallopian tube toward the uterus.
Ovulation is one part of the female menstrual cycle whereby a mature ovarian
follicle (part of the ovary) discharges an egg (also known as an ovum, oocyte, or
female gamete). It is during this process that the egg travels down the fallopian
tube where it may be met by a sperm and become fertilized.

2. fertilization- along the fallopian tube, a sperm unites with the egg to form a
fertilized egg or zygote that develops into an embryo, the earliest stage of a new
spring
3. implantation-What Is Implantation Bleeding?

If you see light bleeding -- small pink or brown spots -- in your underwear and you think you
might be pregnant, it could be implantation bleeding. That happens 6 to 12 days after conception,
and you may mistake it for your regular period.
Its actually an early sign of pregnancy. Its not dangerous, and you dont need treatment.
Heavy bleeding (more than a typical period) is cause for concern, though. Contact your doctor if
you have this alone or combined with fever, chills, or cramps that get worse.
Cause

After a sperm fertilizes your egg, they become an embryo. It then travels to the uterus, where it
implants itself into the lining.

Sometimes, as the embryo attaches, it causes a little bleeding. This doesn't cause any problems
for the baby that will develop.
Symptoms

The blood may be lighter in color and flow than what you see during your period. Mild cramping
is common.
This bleeding tends to happen sooner than you'd notice morning sickness.
Treatment

It will stop on its own. If you're worried that you've bled a lot, call your doctor. He may want to
know how much you saw in your underwear and what color it was.
Other Causes of Bleeding

Pregnant women can bleed for reasons other than implantation. If its heavy plus with or without
pain or cramping at any time, call your doctor.
If youre pregnant and you see blood, it may be caused by:
Sex. Sometimes this happens early on, although it can happen at any ti

E. Care of The Reproductive System

1. Practice good hygiene. This is especially important because the reproductive system is
susceptible to infections. Good hygiene in this regard includes keeping the genital area clean to
prevent germs and other harmful substances from entering our body
2. Eat a well balanced diet. In particular, a good diet is high in fiber and low in fat
3. drink good quality water. Consuming proper amount of water for body hydration also helps
clear away bacteria and infection of the reproductive tract, especially in the urethra area
4. Maintain a healthy weight. Gaining too much weight or loosing it considerably may adversely
affect ones fertility
5. stay away from smoking, alcohol and drugs. Overuse of tobacco, alcoholic drinks and
dangerous drugs have extremely negative effects on the reproductive system
6. Reduce Stress Levels. Combine regular exercise, adequate rest, relaxation
techniques, and positive thinking to help reduce stress levels

7. have regular reproductive health check-up. Periodic visit and consulting doctors
advice every time we are concerned with anything about our reproductive system is
an important preventive health measure.

FACTs
Human testes can produce 10 million sperm cells daily. This is enough to repopulate the entire
earth in only 6 months!!
During pregnancy, uterus will expand up to 500 times its normal size.
There are approximately 5 calories in a teaspoon of semen.

Some people drink the urine of pregnant women to build up their immune system!!
The medium of the vagina is as acidic as beer or tomatoes, averaging about 4 on the pH scale.
The stones found in your kidneys can move throughout your body while flowing along the blood
stream.
Men with Higher Pitched Voices May Have More Sperm
The Ancient Egyptians were Using Contraceptives
The Average Male Penis is Less that 6 Inches in Size
An average woman can produce 35 children in her life
The reproductive system contains the largest and smallest cells

Trvias
How many chromosomes do female and male sex cells contain? How many
chromosomes do normal body cells contain?

23, 46
How is the reproductive system an example of structure fits function?

penis and vagina, uterus develops lining to protect baby... etc.

 What are three parts of the female sex organ?

vagina, urethra, uterus, ovary, cervix, fallopian tube.

What is the menstrual cycle?

the cycle by which eggs are brought to the ovary through the fallopian tube and prepared to be
fertilized. If the egg is not fertilized, it comes out as menstrual discharge.
What is the purpose of the reproductive system?

to make new life/ reproduce.

1. In the womb, the babys body is covered by a thin layer of hair but as soon as the baby is born
it disappears.
2. The largest cell in the female human body is the ovum or egg present in the ovaries
3. About 500 million sperm mature every day in a normal male adult.
4. The ovaries of a newborn girl contains about 600, 000 immature eggs.
5. The average life span of a sperm is about 36 hours.
6. The life span of an ova is about 12 24 hours.
7. The female human body is capable of giving birth to 35 children in one lifetime.
8. Fallopian tubes are no wider than the head of a pin.
In addition to these fun facts, it appears that breast-fed children have a higher IQ as well!
According to research studies conducted in both England and New Zealand, 90% of breast-fed
children get higher IQ points than those who are formula fed. 90% of babies carry a specific
genes needed to digest breast milk fats into polyunsaturated fatty acids that develop the brain.
Those babies end up with more IQ points, and thus usually are more intelligent than formula-fed
babies.