1. Terminology in Healthcare and
Public Health Settings
Reproductive System
Lecture a – Female Reproductive
System
This material (Comp 3 Unit 10) was developed by the University of Alabama at Birmingham, funded by the
Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information
Technology under Award Number 90WT0007.
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International
License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org.
2. Reproductive System
Learning Objectives
• Define, understand and correctly pronounce
medical terms related to the female and male
reproductive systems
• Describe common diseases and conditions with
an overview of various treatments related to the
female and male reproductive systems
2
4. Female Reproductive
System Overview 2
• Anatomy of the
female reproductive
system
– Breasts
– Ovaries
– Fallopian tubes
– Uterus
– Cervix
– Vagina
4
5. Breast Disorders and Diseases
• Fibrocystic breasts
– Lumpiness, thickening and swelling
– Often associated with a female’s menstrual cycle
• Cysts
– Fluid-filled lumps
• Fibroadenomas
– Solid, round, rubbery lumps
– Move easily when pushed
• Intraductal papillomas
– Growths similar to warts near the nipple of the breast
5
6. Breast Cancer
• Risk Factors
– Older age
– Genetics
– Overweight
– Dense breasts
– Hormone use
– First child after age 35
• Symptoms
– Lump
– Change in size or shape
– Nipple discharge
6
7. Breast Cancer 2
• Diagnostic Tests
– Mammography
– Biopsy
o Open
o Needle
• Treatment
– Radiation
– Chemotherapy
– Hormone Therapy
– Surgery
o Lumpectomy
o Mastectomy 7
8. Cervical Disorders and Diseases
• Cervicitis
• Cervical incompetence
• Cervical polyps and cysts
• Human papillomavirus (HPV)
– Low Risk HPV
– High Risk HPV
– Diagnostic test
o Pap smears to detect changes in the cervix
– Treatment
o Vaccines for several types of HPV 8
9. Cervical Disorders and Diseases 2
• Gonorrhea
– Sexually transmitted disease
– Symptoms
o Bleeding
o Pain
– Treatment
o Antibiotics
– Untreated can lead to pelvic inflammatory
disease
9
10. Cervical Disorders and Diseases 3
• Trichomoniasis
– Sexually transmitted disease
– Symptoms
o Green or yellow discharge
o Itching
o Burning when urinating
– Treatment
o Antibiotics
10
11. Pelvic Inflammatory Disease
• Infection of the female reproductive organs
• Symptoms
– Pain in the lower abdomen
– Fever
– Foul smelling vaginal discharge
– Irregular bleeding
• Complications
– Infertility
– Ectopic pregnancy
– Pelvic pain
– Treated with antibiotics 11
12. Ovarian Cancer
• Risk Factors
– Generally occurs in females over 50 years of age
– Can occur in younger females
• Symptoms
– Heavy feeling in the pelvic area
– Pain in the lower abdomen or worsening back pain
– Vaginal bleeding or abnormal periods
– Weight gain or loss
• Treatment
– Surgery followed by chemotherapy
12
13. Uterine Disorders and Diseases
• Dysfunctional uterine bleeding
– Variety of causes
– Diagnostic tests
o Blood tests
o Other tests
– Treatment
o Depends on the cause
13
14. Uterine Disorders and Diseases 2
• Endometriosis
– Lining of uterus grows outside the uterus
– Unknown cause
– Treatment
o Medications
o Hormones
o Surgery
14
15. Uterine Disorders and Diseases 3
• Uterine fibroids
– Most common noncancerous tumor in women of
child-bearing age
– Symptoms
o Painful menstrual cycles
o Bleeding between cycles
o Frequent urination
o Lower back pain
o Reproductive problems
– Treatment
o Medications
o Surgery
15
16. Uterine Disorders and Diseases 4
• Adenomyosis
– Endometrium (lining of uterus) grows into
muscular layer of uterus
– Treatment
16
17. Uterine Disorders and Diseases 5
• Cancer of the uterus
– Risk Factors
o Post-menopause
o Obesity
o Hormone replacement therapy
– Symptoms
o Vaginal bleeding, discharge
o Urinary difficulty
o Pelvic pain or pain during intercourse
– Treatments
o Hysterectomy
o Hormone therapy
o Radiation therapy 17
18. Vaginal Disorders and Diseases
• Vaginal Cancer
– Increased Risk Factors
o Age 60 and older
o Females with HPV
o Mother took diethylstilbestrol (DES) while pregnant
– Symptoms
o Bleeding that is irregular
o Vaginal lump
o Pelvic pain
– Treatment
o Surgery
o Radiation
o Chemotherapy 18
19. Female Reproductive System
Combining Forms
Key Word Forms Meaning SampleTerm
Cervic/o Cervix Cervical
Gynec/o Woman Gynecomastica
Hyster/o Uterus Hysterectomy
Mamm/o Breast Mammogram
Oophor/o Ovary Oophorectomy
Uter/o Uterus Uterine
Vagin/o Vagina Vaginitis
19
20. Tell me, Detective . . .
• A patient in her early forties
presented to the Gynecology
Clinic with irregular bleeding,
a vaginal lump and pelvic
pain. Her history revealed
that her mother had taken
diethylstilbestrol (DES) while
she was pregnant. What is a
diagnosis that would need to
be excluded?
20
21. Reproductive System
Summary – Lecture a
• Define, explain and correctly pronounce
medical terms related to the female
reproductive system
• Describe common diseases and
conditions with an overview of various
treatments related to the female
reproductive system
21
22. Female Reproductive System
References – Lecture a
References
MedlinePlus [Internet]. Female reproductive system. Bethesda (MD): National Library of Medicine
(US); [updated 2011 Jul 27]. Available from: www.nlm.nih.gov
Images
Slide 3, 4: CC BY-SA Available From: en.wikibooks.org
Slide 6, 7: Available From: commons.wikimedia.org
22
23. Terminology in Health Care and
Public Health Settings
Reproductive System Lecture a
This material was developed by the
University of Alabama at Birmingham,
funded by the Department of Health and
Human Services, Office of the National
Coordinator for Health Information
Technology under Award Number
90WT0007.
23
Editor's Notes
Welcome to Terminology in Healthcare and Public Health Settings, Reproductive System. This is lecture a, the female reproductive system.
The objectives for this unit, Reproductive System, are to:
Define, understand and correctly pronounce medical terms related to the female reproductive system and male reproductive system.
Describe common diseases and conditions with an overview of various treatments related to the female reproductive system and male reproductive system.
The reproductive systems in the male and female are concerned with producing new members of our species. Let’s start with the female reproductive system. The female reproductive system consists of internal and external genitalia. The internal reproductive organs consist of the ovaries, uterus (pronounced you-ter-us), fallopian (pronounced full-OH-Pee-en) tubes and the vagina as shown in the slide.
Mammary glands are found in the breasts. While these glands are not part of the reproductive process, they are considered part of the female reproductive system since they have a lactation function – they produce milk for the newborn child.
The ovaries are small, paired organs that produce the eggs, or ova. The ovaries also secrete the female hormones, estrogen and progesterone.
The fallopian tubes, also called oviducts, are tubes leading from the ovaries into the uterus. The oviducts are lined with cilia (pronounced silly-uh) (hair-like projections) that push an egg, or ovum, through the tubes.
The uterus is the major female reproductive organ. It is a pear-shaped, muscular organ. Its main function is to receive a fertilized ovum (pronounced OH-vumm), which becomes an embryo and implants into the endometrium (pronounced endo-MEE-tree-um). The endometrium is the inside lining of the uterus which provides the nutritional and protective support for the fetus to develop and grow.
The cervix is the lower, narrow portion of the uterus where it connects to the top end of the vagina. It is cone-shaped and also is referred to as the neck of the uterus.
The vagina is a muscular, tube-shaped organ connecting the uterus to the outside of the body.
When a pregnant female goes into labor, the female reproductive tract goes through a series of physiological processes to move the fetus through the vagina (also called the birth canal), including cervical dilatation and uterine contractions which work together to expel the fetus.
Now let’s look at some of the disorders and diseases of the female reproductive system.
Most women experience breast changes at some point in their lives. A woman’s age, hormone levels and medications may cause lumps, bumps or discharges. Minor and serious breast problems often have similar symptoms. This is a list of common breast disorders that are non-cancerous in females.
Fibrocystic breasts are characterized by lumpiness, thickening and swelling . This condition is often associated with a female’s menstrual cycle. Cysts, which are fluid-filled lumps, are another breast disorder. Fibroadenomas (pronounced fibro (like fiber)-ad-en-ome-uhs) are benign solid, round, rubbery lumps that move easily when pushed. Intraductal papillomas (pronounced papp-ill-omas) are growths similar to warts near the nipple of the breast.
Breast cancer affects one in eight women during their lives. One of the risk factors is your age. The chance of getting breast cancer increases as you get older. Another risk factor is your genetic inheritance. There are two genes, BRCA1 (pronounced B-R-C-A one) and BRCA 2, that, if present, greatly increase your risk. There are also certain personal factors, such as beginning the menstrual cycle before age 12 or going through menopause after age 55, that also increase the likelihood that you will get breast cancer. Additional risk factors include being overweight, having dense breasts, using hormone replacement therapy, taking birth control pills, drinking alcohol, or not having children or having your first child after age 35. Symptoms of breast cancer include a lump, a change in the size or shape of the breast or a discharge from the nipple.
Breast self-examinations and mammography can help detect breast cancer early, when it is more treatable.
A breast biopsy is when a small amount of tissue is removed in order to identify signs of breast cancer. There are several types of biopsies. An open biopsy is when a surgeon excises some breast tissue through an open incision. A needle biopsy allows fluid and tissue to be withdrawn using a needle. These tissue samples are then sent to a pathologist for examination under a microscope.
When a breast cancer diagnosis is reached, treatment options include radiation, chemotherapy, hormone therapy and surgery. Surgery can be a lumpectomy, where only the lump is taken out, or mastectomy which is excision (pronounced ex-siz-zhun), that is removal, of the whole breast.
Men can have breast cancer as well, but the number of cases is small.
This slide lists the disorders and diseases associated with the cervix.
Cervicitis (pronounced service-SIGHT-iss) is the inflammation of the cervix.
Cervical incompetence is the widening of the cervical opening during pregnancy prior to the full-term development of the fetus.
Cervical polyps and cysts are abnormal growths on the cervix.
Human papillomaviruses (pronounced papp-ill-ome-uh-viruses) or HPV (pronounced H-P-V) are common viruses that can cause warts. There are more than one hundred types of HPV. Most are harmless, but about thirty types put one at risk for cancer. They are classified as low-risk or high-risk.
Low-risk HPV can cause genital warts. Genital warts are a sexually transmitted disease or STD (pronounced S-T-D) caused by human papillomavirus (HPV). The warts are soft, moist, pink or flesh-colored bumps. In females, the warts usually occur around the vagina, on the cervix or anus. The warts might disappear on their own, or they can be treated or removed. However, the virus stays in your body even after treatment so they can return.
High-risk HPV can lead to cancers of the cervix, vulva, vagina, and anus.
Pap smears can be used to diagnose changes in the cervix associated with these problems. There is a vaccine which protects against several types of HPV.
Gonorrhea is a curable STD. The bacteria that causes gonorrhea can infect the genital tract, mouth or anus. Symptoms in females include bleeding between menstrual cycles, pain when urinating and increased discharge from the vagina. Untreated, it can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease or PID (pronounced P-I-D) which can lead to infertility. Treatment includes antibiotics.
Trichomoniasis (pronounced trick-uh-moan-EYE-uh-sis) is a sexually transmitted disease caused by a parasite. Symptoms include a green or yellow discharge from the vagina, itching in or near the vagina and discomfort with urination. This disease is also treated with antibiotics.
Pelvic inflammatory disease or PID (pronounced P-I-D) is an infection and inflammation of the female reproductive organs. It can lead to scarring of the fallopian tubes, which can, in turn, result in infertility, ectopic pregnancy, pelvic pain and other problems. PID is the most common preventable cause of infertility in the US. Common causes are gonorrhea and chlamydia (pronounced cluh-mid-ee-uh), which is another STD caused by bacteria, but other bacteria can also cause PID.
Some women have no symptoms. Others have pain in the lower abdomen, fever, foul- smelling vaginal discharge, irregular bleeding and painful intercourse. Treatment for PID involves antibiotics, and early treatment is desirable to avoid the risks of infertility.
Ovarian cancer generally occurs in women over 50 years of age, but it can also occur in younger women. This type of cancer is very difficult to detect. When the diagnosis is made in an early stage, there is a better chance of recovery for the patient.
Symptoms include a heavy feeling in the pelvic area, pain in the lower abdomen, bleeding from the vaginal area, weight gain or weight loss, abnormal periods and unexplained back pain that worsens over time.
Treatment is usually surgery followed by chemotherapy.
There are several medical problems associated with the uterus. Dysfunctional uterine bleeding, for example, may be the first sign of a uterine disease. Causes of abnormal bleeding include uterine fibroids, hormone disorders, the use of birth control pills, thyroid problems, polyps, cancer, infection or pregnancy. Diagnosis requires pelvic exams, blood tests and/or other procedures. Treatment depends on the cause of the dysfunctional uterine bleeding.
Another problem, endometriosis (pronounced endo-meet-tree-oh-sis), occurs when the lining of the uterus grows outside the uterus. The tissue may grow on the ovaries, behind the uterus or on the bowels or bladder. The tissue outside of the uterus may cause pain, infertility and excessive bleeding during the menstrual cycle. The cause of endometriosis is not known. Treatment includes pain medications, hormones, and sometimes surgery.
Uterine (pronounced you –ter-in) fibroids are the most common non-cancerous tumors in women of childbearing age. Fibroids are made of muscle cells and other tissues that grow in and around the wall of the uterus. The cause is unknown. Risk factors include being African-American and being overweight. Symptoms include painful menstrual cycles, bleeding between cycles, frequent urination, lower back pain and reproductive problems. Treatment for fibroids includes medications and possibly surgery.
Adenomyosis (pronounced ADD-en-oh-my-OH-sis) occurs when the endometrium grows into the muscular layer of the uterus. Treatment includes pain medications, hormones and surgery.
Cancer also occurs in the uterus. There are different types of uterine cancer. The most common type begins in the lining of the uterus called the endometrium and is called endometrial cancer.
This type of cancer usually occurs after menopause. Other factors that may increase the risks are obesity and taking hormone replacement therapy.
The symptoms include unusual vaginal bleeding or discharge, trouble urinating, pelvic pain and pain during intercourse.
Treatment varies depending on the patient’s age, how advanced the cancer is and whether hormones affect its growth. Treatment is usually a hysterectomy, a surgical procedure to remove the uterus. Other treatments that may be recommended include hormone therapy and radiation therapy.
The last disease of the female reproductive system is vaginal cancer. The risk factors for vaginal cancer include being over age 60, having HPV, and having a mother who took diethylstilbestrol (pronounced dye-ethyl-still-best-trol),or DES (pronounced D-E-S), while pregnant.
The symptoms of vaginal cancer include bleeding that is irregular, lumps in the vagina, and pelvic pain.
Treatment options include surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy.
Here are some key word parts related to the female reproductive system along with their meanings. In the third column you can see some of the medical terms that we can create by combining word parts. You should return to the online medical dictionary to hear the pronunciation and become familiar with the meaning of the created terms.
Now see if you can figure out the diagnosis.
A patient in her early forties presented to the Gynecology Clinic with irregular bleeding, a vaginal lump and pelvic pain. Her history revealed that her mother had taken diethylstilbestrol ((pronounced dye-ethyl-still-best-trol), or DES, while she was pregnant. What is a diagnosis that would need to be excluded?
Did you guess vaginal cancer?
The risk factors for vaginal cancer include being over age 60, having HPV, and having a mother who took diethylstilbestrol (pronounced dye-ethyl-still-best-trol), or DES (pronounced D-E-S), while pregnant.
The symptoms of vaginal cancer include bleeding that is irregular, lumps in the vagina, and pelvic pain.
Treatment options include surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy.
This concludes Lecture a of Reproductive System.
In summary, we defined, explained and correctly pronounced medical terms related to the female reproductive system. We described common diseases and conditions with an overview of various treatments related to the female reproductive system.