Tag: Uterus

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Knowing Woman Sexuality

Changes at Orgasm

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The clitoris lengthens and thickens, reaching maximum size. Just before orgasm, it pulls back behind the foreskin (hood).

The vagina dilates, the inner two-thirds widen and lengthen. The walls turn deep purple and are coated with lubricating fluid.

The labia outer lips open and flatten out. The inner lips thicken and thrust forwards.

The uterus balloons to almost twice its size. It rises and the cervix is pulled up away from the vagina.

The heart rate increases from an average 60 to 80 beats per minute to between 100 and 150.

The breathing rate becomes fast and shallow, and can speed up to 3 times its normal resting rate.

Muscle tension: The pelvis, abdomen, back and thighs contract and are held in a state of high tension.

Body language: The face can contort into a rictus, a glaring grimace; the hands may claw, the toes curl, the feet arch.

Mind: Mental faculties appear to be “gone,” so deeply are they buried under orgasm’s spell.

Sex rash: A rosy, measles-like rash starts at the throat and abdomen, then spreads to the breasts in 75 percent of women.

Sneezing: Attacks of sneezing, if they occur, are due to vaso-congestion in the nose.

Perspiration: One woman in three sweats on the forehead, the top lip, and underarm. A thin film may cover the back and thighs.

Categories
Fertility Problems

Seeking Donation

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  • Sperm Donation: If the man cannot provide sperm, the couple can use a sperm bank. The sperm are put into the vagina via a catheter, and make their way up to the oviducts. The donor, often a medical student, is anonymous. This method is called Artificial Insemination by a Donor (AID).
  • Egg Donation: If the woman cannot provide eggs, the couple can seek an egg donated by a third person. This person may be a close friend of the couple, or a stranger. Her retrieved egg is placed in a culture dish, and there fertilized by the partner’s sperm. The embryo is then put into the woman’s uterus or tubes.
  • Embryo Donation: If neither egg nor sperm can be provided, the couple can seek help from a third woman and man. The woman donates her egg, and the man his sperm. These are retrieved and fertilized in a culture dish, and the embryo is transplanted into the woman.
  • Uterus Donation: A mother “loaned” her uterus to her daughter and became the first grandmother to bear her own children. The daughter had been born without a uterus, but she could provide an egg. This was retrieved and fertilized by sperm from the daughter’s husband in a culture dish. The resultant embryo was implanted in the mother who successfully gave birth to twins.
  • Surrogacy: If a woman has lost her uterus, another woman can provide hers for pregnancy and childbirth. This is somewhat different from the previous example, because the partner usually has intercourse with the other woman in order to impregnate her, and money is involved. The custody of some infants of surrogacy birth has been bitterly fought over in the law courts. Perhaps only in very close and loving families does surrogacy not prove to be a very tricky area of human choice
Categories
Fertility Problems

Looking Inside – Laparoscopy

laparoscopy

A laparoscopy is a surgical procedure to examine the internal structures. A coloured solution is introduced into the uterus via the vagina and cervix. The laparoscope is inserted through a small cut in the abdomen wall. When the tubes are open, the coloured fluid can be seen to flow through them, and out into the pelvic cavity. If some fluid pools in little pockets, there may be scarring. The egg can get trapped in the pocket, and die. The pelvic cavity, ovaries, and uterus are also examined to see if endometriosis, inflammation, or some birth defect could be causing the problem. Where appropriate, surgical procedures to relieve a minor problem will be done at the same time.

A hysteroscopy is a procedure performed through the vagina. A fluid or carbon dioxide gas is introduced into the uterus via the vagina and cervix to expand the area and allow a better view. The mucus-secreting glands of the cervix are examined to see if they are working properly. The cervical canal and uterus lining are checked for structures that might add to the problem: polyps, fibroids, or bands of scar tissue. Some minor surgical procedures can be done at the same time, if appropriate.

A hysterosalpingogram (HSG) is an internal X-ray of the uterus and tubes. A radio-opaque dye is injected into the uterus through the vagina and cervix, and the X-ray is taken. HSG is a painful procedure. Cramps and spasm can give a false-positive result; there appears to be a blockage where, in fact, none exists. The iodine solution in the dye can cause an allergic reaction. HSG has become less popular in recent years.