Ivan Villa Eimee Potato,

PhD
Joanna Guia Joy Harion Professor
BPED 2B - REPORTER
GEE 102: GENDER AND SOCIETY
THE PROCESS OF REPRODUCTION

Although human beings are fully sexually differentiated at birth, the differences between males and
females are accentuated at puberty. This is when the reproductive system matures, secondary sexual
characteristics develop, and the bodies of males and females appear more distinctive.

Female puberty usually begins at about 8—13 years of age; the reproduction maturation of boys lags
about two years behind that girls. The physical changes of female puberty include breast development,
rounding of the hips and buttocks, growth of the hair in the pubic region and the underarm, and the start
of menstruation.

How does one ovulate?

The major landmark of puberty among females in the onset of the menstrual cycle, the monthly ovulation
cycle that leads to menstruation (loss of blood and tissues lining the uterus) in the absence of pregnancy.
The menstrual cycle is from the first day of a period until day before the next period starts.

Normally, it lasts around 28 days, on the average, but can be as short as 21 or as long as 40. Whatever the
length, ovulation will happen about 10-16 days before the start of the next period.

How does pregnancy occur?

For pregnancy to proceed, the sperm needs to meet up with an egg. Pregnancy officially starts when a
fertilized egg implants in the lining of the uterus. Pregnancy happens 2-3 weeks after sexual intercourse.
This is redundant so it was it redacted.

Conception is the process that begins with fertilization of an egg by the sperm and ends with
implantation. When a male and female have a sexual intercourse, the penis fits into woman’s vagina.
Ejaculation or coming releases the sperm via the penis into the vagina. The sperm swims through the
female’s cervix, into the womb, and finally into the fallopian tubes. Once the egg or ovum has been
released into the fallopian tube, hundreds of sperm swim up to reach it. Finally, the sperm penetrates the
egg in the fallopian tube where fertilization takes place and eventually, becomes an embryo. Once the
embryo (fertilized egg) attaches to the inner lining of the uterus (endothelium), a fetus develops within
five to seven days from a ball of cells floating in the uterus, which officially begins pregnancy.

A normal pregnancy lasts 37-42 weeks (nine months). This is measured from the first day of the first day
of the last period. Pregnancy is discussed in terms of trimesters (three-month periods) since each
trimester is very different from the rest. After eight weeks, the embryo is officially referred to as a fetus.

Egg to Embryo to Fetus: The Reproduction and Development Process

Vagina
The vagina carries the female's menstrual flow outside the body, receives the male penis during
intercourse, and serves as the birth canal during labor.

In the reproductive process, a male sperm and a female egg provide the information required to produce
another human being. Conception occurs when these cells join as the egg is fertilized. Pregnancy begins
once the fertilized egg implants in the uterus. The embryo grows and becomes surrounded by structures
that provide support and nourishment. Eyes, limbs, and organs appear as the embryo develops into a
fetus. The fetus grows inside the uterus until pregnancy ends with labor and birth. By then all body
systems are in place—including the reproductive system that can one day help produce another human
being.
1. Fertilization: A Sperm and an Egg Form a Zygote

During sexual intercourse, some sperm ejaculated from the male penis swim up through the female
vagina and uterus toward an oocyte (egg cell) floating in one of the uterine tubes. The sperm and the egg
are gametes. They each contain half the genetic information necessary for reproduction. When a sperm
cell penetrates and fertilizes an egg, that genetic information combines. The 23 chromosomes from the
sperm pair with 23 chromosomes in the egg, forming a 46-chromosome cell called a zygote. The zygote
starts to divide and multiply. As it travels toward the uterus it divides to become a blastocyst, which will
burrow into the uterine wall.

2. The Zygote Becomes an Embryo: Development Prior to and During Implantation

A fertilized egg, or zygote, takes about five days to reach the uterus from the uterine tube. As it moves,
the zygote divides and develops into a blastocyst, with an inner mass of cells and a protective outer ring.
The blastocyst attaches to the wall of the uterus and gradually implants itself into the uterine lining.
During implantation, its cells differentiate further. At day 15 after conception, the cells that will form the
embryo become an embryonic disc. Other cells begin to form support structures. The yolk sac, on one
side of the disc, will become part of the digestive tract. On the other side, the amnion fills with fluid and
will surround the embryo as it develops. Other cell groups initiate the placenta and umbilical cord, which
will bring in nutrients and eliminate waste.

3. In Eight Weeks, the Embryo Develops; By the End of Week 10 It Becomes a Fetus

Fifteen days after conception marks the beginning of the embryonic period. The embryo contains a flat
embryonic disc that now differentiates into three layers: the endoderm, the mesoderm, and the ectoderm.
All organs of the human body derive from these three tissues. They begin to curve and fold and to form
an oblong body. By week 4, the embryo has a distinct head and tail and a beating heart. Over the next six
weeks, limbs, eyes, brain regions, and vertebrae form. Primitive versions of all body systems appear. By
the end of week 10, the embryo is a fetus. (Note: Pregnancy is often measured in terms of gestational age
—age of the fetus starting with the first day of a woman’s last menstrual period—and embryonic or fetal
age—actual age of the growing fetus. We are referring to the gestational age of the fetus.)

4. Fetal Development Ends with Labor, a Three-Stage Process

From week 10 of pregnancy, the fetus grows inside the uterus, fueled by nutrient-rich blood supplied by
the umbilical cord. The placenta provides oxygen and nutrients to the fetus and removes waste products
from the fetus’ blood. Bones, muscles, skin, and connective tissues form. Body systems develop. Limbs
and facial features take shape. Around week 36 (usually), the process of labor begins. In the first
stage, dilation, hormones stimulate downward contractions of the uterine walls. The contractions push the
head of the fetus against the cervix at the lower end of the uterus. The cervix dilates. In the second
stage, expulsion, powerful contractions push the head and the rest of the body through the dilated cervix,
and out through the vagina and the vulva. The baby is born. Further contractions expel the placenta to
complete the placental stage.

5. Humans Must Develop Male or Female Gonads and Genitalia to be Capable of Reproduction

Reproductive structures begin to form in the embryonic stage. By week 6, gonads and genitalia are
present but undifferentiated. Whether they become male or female is determined by one chromosome
delivered by the sperm. This pair contains an X sex chromosome from the female egg and either an X or a
Y sex chromosome from the male sperm. If the chromosome pair is XY, the gonads develop into testes
starting in week 7. If the chromosome pair is XX, the gonads become ovaries starting in week 8. Testes
secrete testosterone, forming male genitalia around week 10. Without testosterone, female genitalia form.
All reproductive structures are in place at birth or shortly after. At puberty, an increase in sex hormones
will grow them to their adult size and reproductive capability.
 What can be done to prevent teenage pregnancy?

Teen pregnancy has a tremendous impact on the educational, social, and economic lives of young people.
Early parenting reduces the likelihood that a young woman will complete high school and pursue the
necessary post-secondary education needed to complete in today’s economy. Although there is a decline
in teenage pregnancy rates it has been steady over the past two decades. Teens are still engaging in sexual
activity and teen girls are still getting pregnant.

Equipping the youth with the knowledge, skills, attitudes necessary to protect themselves against
unwanted pregnancy and provide them access to reproductive healthcare are needed.

Charts for Contraception:

Male Condom: Rolled over the 80-85 percent Low cost, easily, Do not use with Can be
Rubber sheath that penis accessible, and oil-based effective in
fits over the penis reduces risk of lubricants such as prevention of
STDs/STIs creams and lotions STIs and
HIV/AIDS
Implantable Continuous release Not known Continuous birth Implant of the None
Hormones of hormones control for five capsule in the
Device: years upper arm; done
continuous release by the doctor
of hormone
Calendar Allow the woman to Theoretically 85 No cost and under Woman must keep None
Method: woman keep track of “safe” percent but in the control of the track with the help
predicts the day of days for sex reality about 60 human of a calendar
ovulation by percent
keeping a calendar
of the length or
each menstrual
cycle
Sterilization: Passageway for the Theoretically Highly effective, Doctor preforms None
vasectomy fro sperm or the egg is 100 percent, but permanent, and an operation
males and tubal surgically tied exceptions have one time expense
ligation for been known to
take place
females

Some of the methods are instructive in nature and have side effects that maybe harmful. The user
must examine its pros and cons before making a choice.

Type of How it works Effectiveness Benefits Instruction for use Benefits other
Contraceptive than
Method contraception
Birth Control Alters natural Theoretically 99- Low cost, easily, Taken daily after None
Pill: contains ovulation cycle 100 percent, but available and menstrual cycle
synthetic women have controlled by the begins
oestrogen conceived on the women
“pill”
Birth Control Not known Given by the doctor None
injection: given
in the first days of
the menstruation
and then every 2-3
months
Withdrawal: Prevents the Theoretically 85 No cost under the Dependent on the None
removal of the semen from going percent but in control of the man woman
vagina before into the vagina reality, about 70 and the woman
ejaculation percent involved
Intrauterine Inserted inside Theoretically 95- Long-lasting and Inserted by the None
Device (IUD) the uterus by a 98 percent relatively doctor in the first
doctor inexpensive few days of
menstruation;
should be examined
every few months

What are the health effects of early pregnancy in the growing adolescent?

There are serious health risks associated with early pregnancy because a young woman's body is not
mature enough to handle bearing a child. When a woman is under 20, the pelvic area (the bone
surrounding the birth canal) is still growing and may not be large enough to allow the baby to easily pass
through the birth canal. This can result in what is called an "obstructed labor". Obstructed labor is
dangerous to both mother and child and requires the help of trained medical professionals. Under the best
circumstances, the young woman will have an operation called a "caesarean section in which a cut is
made in the abdomen the baby is removed directly from the uterus. A major contributor to high maternal
mortality rates is adolescent pregnancy. If a young woman is not physically mature, the uterus may tear
during the birth process, and she may die because of blood loss. If she is luckily and survives the delivery,
she might face fistula due to prolonged labor. A baby's head can also tear the vagina causing a hole
between the vagina and bladder or between the vagina and the rectum, resulting in what is known as a
fistula. Unless she has an operation to fix her problem, for the rest of her life she will not be able to hold
her urine or feces and this will make her a social outcast.

In addition, younger women who become pregnant face a higher risk than older women in developing a
number of other complications. These complications can be any or a combination of the following
manifestations:
 excessive vomiting
 severe anemia;
 hypertension;
 convulsions;
 difficulty in breast feeding (if the girl is too young to produce milk);
 premature and low birth weight babies;
 infection;
 prolonged labor; and
 high maternal mortality or death.

The risk of having serious complications during pregnancy or childbirth is much higher for girls in their
early teens than for older women. Ages of 20-30 years are the safest period of women's life for child
bearing. The major difference between girls in their early teens and older women is that girls aged 12-16
years are still growing. The pelvis, or the bony birth canal, of a girl can grow wider by as much as 20%
between the time she begins menstruating and the time she is 16 years old. This widening of the pelvis
can make the crucial difference between a safe delivery and obstructed labor.

It is not surprising, therefore, to find that obstructed labor, due to disproportion between the size of the
infant's head and the mother's pelvis, is most common among very young mothers. The consequences of
such obstructed labor may be death due to numerous complications or lifetime crippling conditions of
vesico-vaginal fistula.

Reference:
visiblebody.com/learn/reproductive/reproductive-process