Adolescent Health
Don't know what a word means?
Amenorrhea: The absence of menstrual periods.
Birth Control: Prevention of pregnancy.
Cervix: The opening of the uterus at the top of the vagina.
Clitoris: An organ that is located near the opening to the vagina and is a source of female sexual excitement.
Condom: A thin sheath used to cover the penis during sex to prevent sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancy.
Emergency Contraception: Methods that are used to prevent pregnancy after a woman has had sex without birth control or after the method she used has failed. Emergency contraception methods include progestin-only pills, ulipristal, birth control pills taken in specific amounts, or a copper intrauterine device. The pills must be taken within 120 hours to reduce the risk of pregnancy.
Fallopian Tubes: Tubes through which an egg travels from the ovary to the uterus.
Genitals: The sexual or reproductive organs.
Hormones: Substances produced by the body to control the functions of various organs.
Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV): A virus that attacks certain cells of the body's immune system and causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).
Intrauterine Device: A small device that is inserted and left inside the uterus to prevent pregnancy.
Menstrual Period: The discharge of blood and tissue from the uterus that occurs when an egg is not fertilized (also called menstruation).
Menstruation: The blood and tissue that comes from the uterus each month when an egg is not fertilized (also called your period).
Obstetrician-gynecologist (ob-gyn): A physician with special skills, training, and education in women's health.
Orgasm: The climax of sexual excitement.
Ovaries: Two glands, located on either side of the uterus, that contain the eggs released at ovulation and produce hormones.
Ovulate: When an egg is released from one of the ovaries.
Pap Test: A test in which cells are taken from the cervix and vagina and examined under a microscope.
Penis: An external male sex organ.
Pelvic Exam: A physical examination of a woman's reproductive organs.
Puberty: The stage of life when the reproductive organs become functional and secondary sex characteristics develop.
Semen: The fluid made by male sex glands that contains sperm.
Sexual Intercourse: The act of the penis entering the vagina (also called "having sex" or "making love").
Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD): A disease that is spread by sexual contact, including chlamydia, gonorrhea, human papillomavirus infection, herpes, syphilis, and infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV, the cause of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome [AIDS]).
Speculum: An instrument used to hold open the walls of the vagina in order to perform Pap tests and tests for sexually transmitted diseases.
Sperm: A male cell that is produced in the testes and can fertilize a female egg cell.
Testes: Two male organs that produce the sperm and male sex hormones.
Uterus: A muscular organ located in the female pelvis that contains and nourishes the developing fetus during pregnancy.
Vagina: A tube-like structure surrounded by muscles leading from the uterus to the outside of the body.
Vulva: The external female genital area on the outside of the body.