SEX AND PREGNANCY

The reproductive organs

A number of organs and structures in both the woman and the man are needed to make a baby. These are called the reproductive organs and genitals.

In males, the reproductive organs and genitals include:

• testes: also called testicles; a pair of oval-shaped glands that produce sperm

• scrotum: the pouch of skin that contains the testes

• penis: the male reproductive organ, through which urine and semen pass

• prostate gland: a gland that produces some of the fluid part of semen

• seminal vesicles: a pair of glands that also produce some of the fluid part of semen

• vas deferens: a pair of ducts leading from the testes to the seminal vesicle, through which the sperm travel

In females, the reproductive organs and genitals include:

• ovaries: two organs on either side of the lower abdomen that release an egg cell every month

• vagina: a muscular tube that receives the penis during sex, through which sperm travel on their way to fertilise the egg, and through which a baby passes during childbirth

• fallopian tubes: a pair of tubes running from the ovary to the uterus, through which an egg cell travels, and where fertilisation with sperm usually occurs

• uterus: an organ, also called the womb, where the fertilised egg cell implants and grows into the unborn baby during pregnancy

• vulva: the outer folds that surround the openings of the vagina and the opening from the bladder called the urethra

What exactly is pregnancy?

Simply put: for pregnancy to happen, a man’s sperm needs to meet up with the woman’s egg cell. Pregnancy officially starts when the fertilised egg implants in the lining of the uterus (womb). It takes up to 2–3 weeks after sex for pregnancy to happen.

But pregnancy is a pretty complicated process that has several steps.

*Step 1: Ejaculation and ovulation *

Sperm are microscopic cells that are made in testicles. Sperm mixes with other fluids to make semen, which comes out of the penis during ejaculation. When the man reaches climax/ orgasms during sex, the equivalent of about one teaspoon of semen – containing millions of sperm – is released into the vagina. But it only takes one sperm cell to meet with an egg for pregnancy to happen.

Eggs live in ovaries. The hormones that control your menstrual cycle cause a few eggs to mature every month. These hormones also make the lining of your uterus thick and spongy, which gets your body ready for pregnancy. About halfway through your menstrual cycle, one mature egg leaves each ovary – called ovulation – and travels through the fallopian tube towards your uterus. The egg remains for about 12–24 hours, slowly moving through the fallopian tube, to see if any sperm are around.

*Step 2: Fertilisation *

If semen gets in the vagina, the sperm cells can swim up through the cervix and uterus and into the fallopian tubes, looking for an egg. They have up to 6 days to find an egg before they die. When a sperm cell joins with an egg, it’s called fertilisation. The fertilised egg moves down the fallopian tube toward the uterus. It begins to divide into more and more cells, forming a ball as it grows. The ball of cells (called a blastocyst) gets to the uterus about 3–4 days after fertilisation.

Step 3: Implantation

The ball of cells floats in the uterus for another 2–3 days. If the ball of cells attaches to the lining of your uterus, it’s called implantation – when pregnancy officially begins; the start of a new human life. Implantation usually starts about 6 days after fertilisation and takes about 3–4 days to complete. The embryo develops from cells on the inside of the ball. The placenta develops from the cells on the outside of the ball.

*How do you get pregnant? *

The most common way people get pregnant is through vaginal sex; when a penis enters a vagina during sex. This is the case even if:

• the girl has not had her first period

• the girl is having her period

• it is the first time she has had sexual intercourse

Ovulation is the ideal time for a pregnancy to occur if a man and woman have unprotected sex. But it is quite possible for a woman to also fall pregnant even if:

• sex occurs at another time in the menstrual cycle

• the man withdraws his penis from her vagina before ejaculating (this is because sperm is also present in the pre-cum, the clear fluid released from the penis before ejaculation)

• any semen, including pre-cum, is deposited in or just outside the vagina

• she has not had an orgasm during intercourse.

How do you know you are pregnant?

Many people notice symptoms early in their pregnancy, but others may not have any symptoms at all. Common signs and symptoms of pregnancy can include:

• missed period

• swollen or tender breasts

• nausea and/or vomiting

• feeling tired

• bloating

• constipation

• peeing more often than usual

Some early pregnancy symptoms can sometimes feel like other common conditions (like PMS). So the only way to know for sure if you’re pregnant is to take a pregnancy test. You can either take a home pregnancy test (the kind you buy at the drug or grocery store) or get a pregnancy test at your doctor’s office or local clinic.

Why is a missed period often the first sign of pregnancy?

Because pregnancy dates from the time of the last period, a woman might be 4, 5, 6 or more weeks pregnant before she realises it. She may not experience other physical symptoms (such as fatigue, nausea, and breast tenderness) until a little later. An egg that has been successfully fertilised by a sperm remains in the lining of the uterus. Rather than being shed, this lining stays to nourish the egg. That’s why people don’t get periods when they’re pregnant. If your egg doesn’t meet up with sperm, or a fertilised egg doesn’t implant in your uterus, the thick lining of your uterus isn’t needed, and it leaves your body during your period. Up to half of all fertilised eggs naturally don’t implant in the uterus – they pass out of your body during your period.