Glossary
Basal Body Temperature: The temperature of the body at rest.
Erectile Dysfunction: The inability in a man to achieve an erection or to sustain it until ejaculation or until intercourse takes place.
Fallopian Tubes: Tubes through which an egg travels from the ovary to the uterus.
Hormones: Substances produced by the body to control the functions of various organs.
Hysterosalpingography: A special X-ray procedure in which a small amount of fluid is placed into the uterus and fallopian tubes to detect abnormal changes in their size and shape or to determine whether the tubes are blocked.
Hysteroscopy: A procedure in which a slender device, the hysteroscope, is inserted into the uterus through the cervix to view the inside of the uterus or perform surgery.
Laparoscopy: A surgical procedure in which an instrument called a laparoscope is inserted into the pelvic cavity through a small incision. The laparoscope is used to view the pelvic organs. Other instruments can be used with it to perform surgery.
Luteinizing Hormone (LH): A hormone produced by the pituitary gland that helps an egg to mature and be released.
Ovulation: The release of an egg from one of the ovaries.
Progesterone: A female hormone that is produced in the ovaries and that prepares the lining of the uterus for pregnancy.
Scrotum: The external genital sac in the male that contains the testes.
Semen: The fluid made by male sex glands that contains sperm.
Sexual Intercourse: The act of the penis of the male entering the vagina of the female (also called “having sex” or “making love”).
Sexually Transmitted Diseases: Diseases that are spread by sexual contact, including chlamydia, gonorrhea, genital warts, herpes, syphilis, and infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV, the cause of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome [AIDS]).
Sonohysterography: A procedure in which sterile fluid is injected into the uterus through the cervix while ultrasound images are taken of the inside of the uterus.
Ultrasound: A test in which sound waves are used to examine internal structures. During pregnancy, it can be used to examine the fetus.
Uterus: A muscular organ located in the female pelvis that contains and nourishes the developing fetus during pregnancy.