Fertility transcript


Voice over: Fertility is the ability to conceive and have children. Young people
are highly fertile. From puberty, the male testes produce sperm. Generally, a
man is fertile from this time throughout his adult life. Women, on the other
hand, become fertile at puberty and stop being fertile after menopause.

The menstrual cycle is the process in which, an ovum (or egg) develops and the
endometrium (or lining of the uterus) prepares for a possible pregnancy.
Controlled by the hormones oestrogen and progesterone, the menstrual cycle
starts on the first day of the menstrual bleed (or period) and ends the day
before the next period starts. 

The menstrual cycle can vary in length from 21- 40 days, with around 28 days
being the average. However, every woman’s menstrual cycle is unique to her. A
young woman’s cycle may take a number of months to settle into a regular
pattern. 

The hormone oestrogen causes 
•	The ovary to ripen several eggs 
•	The lining of the uterus to thicken and
•	The secretion of mucous from glands in the cervix to alter and become more
fertile.

A single egg is released from one of the ovaries each month this is called
ovulation. Ovulation triggers the second female hormone progesterone that which
further develops the lining of the uterus for implantation of a fertilised egg.
Fertilisation is the union of an egg and a sperm.   

Ovulation occurs 12-16 days before the next menstrual period, this is the most
fertile time of the cycle.  However, as most young womens’ periods are
irregular, it is very difficult for them to know when they are fertile. 

The egg survives for approximately 12-24 hours. After ovulation, the egg travels
down the fallopian tube. If a couple has had, sexual intercourse or intimate
sexual contact, sperm travel from the vagina, through the cervix towards the
fallopian tube, where the egg may be fertilised by a single sperm. If this
happens, the egg then implants in the lining of the uterus to develop. Sperm may
survive inside the female body for between 5-7 days. Thus the fertile time in a
woman’s cycle can extend from 7-10 days each month. 

If fertilisation has not taken place, the egg passes out through the vagina and
menstruation occurs starting a new menstrual cycle. 

Young men and women are very fertile so if sexual intercourse or intimate sexual
contact takes place without using contraception, a young woman may become
pregnant.  Now let’s look at contraception.