Birth Control and Infertility

1. Birth Control and Infertility

2. Implantation

3. Women Men What is infertility? • Infertility failing to become pregnant after 12 months of trying • What might cause men and women to be infertile? ovaries not releasing ovum low sperm count blocked oviducts poor quality sperm problems with the endometrium blocked or damaged sperm ducts hormonal problems hormonal problems

4. Causes of Infertility in Men and Women • Abnormal Sperm cannot swim properly • Absence of Sperm sperm not formed or blocked in sperm ducts • Ovulatory disorder hormones levels do not allow ovulation • Oviduct blockage ova cannot reach uterus through oviducts • Endometriosis living of oviducts swells and blocks oviducts • Antisperm antibodies sperm destroyed by immune system

5. How do fertility drugs work? Fertility drugs are used to help women who do not produce an egg every month. There are many different types of fertility drug but they all work by tricking the body into producing more eggs. What hormone would be best used to make women release more eggs? LH

6. What is IVF? Sometimes, women have problems becoming pregnant even after using fertility drugs. When this happens, they can try in vitro fertilization, or IVF. In vitro is Latin for ‘in glass’ so IVF means fertilization that takes place outside of the body and in laboratory glassware. Babies born by IVF are sometimes called ‘test-tube’ babies. However, fertilization doesn’t take place in test-tubes but in a petri dish.

7. How does IVF work? • Eggs and sperm are collected from the couple • 1 egg is mixed with about 100,000 sperm on a petri dish • After a few days, 2 embryos from these dishes are inserted into the uterus using a tube • Why use two? • Increase chance at least 1 embryo will attach to uterus wall • What happens to other embryos? • Area of much debate. Are they human? Should they be wasted?

8. Birth Control in Humans • Birth control (Contraception) any method used to prevent fertilization • 4 Method Types: 1) Mechanical • Physically prevent sperm and eggs meeting 2) Chemical • Chemicals to kills sperm • Hormones to stop release of eggs 3) Natural • Avoid sex during best days to get pregnant • Do not ejaculate inside the vagina 4) Surgical • Small surgery prevents release of egg or sperm

9. Mechanical Method • Condoms thin rubber tube that cover the penis and catches semen • Pros: cheap/easy to use; 90% effective at stopping pregnancy and disease • Cons: can break during sex; doesn’t work if not used properly • Femidom large condom inserted into the vagina and catches semen • Pros: cheap; 90% effective at stopping pregnancy and disease • Cons: can break; not simple to use; uncomfortable • Diaphragm rubber cap that fits over the cervix and blocks semen • Pros: reusable; 85% effective at stopping pregnancy • Cons: difficult to use; does not prevent disease

10. Mechanical Method • IUD (Intra-Uterine Device) • Small copper wrapped plastic devices that prevent sperm from entering uterus or stop the egg from implanting into the endometrium • Can also use progesterone to cause endometrium to thicken to the point that sperm cannot pass cervix Pros: reusable 99% effective against pregnancy Cons: difficult to use can be uncomfortable or even cause damage copper metal and cause allergic reaction inside uterus does not spread of disease

11. Chemical Method • Spermicide chemicals injected into the vagina to kill sperm • Pros: Cheap and easy to use • Cons: Only 75% effective against pregnancy, does not protect against disease, may cause allergic reactions in the vagina • Spermicides are BEST used in combination with mechanical methods • The Pill daily pill of progesterone that prevent FSH/LH from causing ovulation • Pros: Easy to use, 98% effective against pregnancy, pill can be taken at anytime • Cons: Can be expensive, does not protect against disease, MUST be taken EVERY DAY (missing one day can lead to ovulation)

12. Natural (Rhythm) Method • Period logs woman tracks 28 day menstrual cycle to predict safe days BEFORE and AFTER ovulation • Pros: does not require any medicine or devices, may not clash with religious beliefs • Cons: EXTREMELY UNRELIABLE!!! Menstrual cycles can shift due to many factors and an incorrect calculation could lead to sex occurring at the BEST time to get pregnant Less than 70% effective against pregnancy, does not protect against disease

13. Surgical Method • Vasectomy small surgery cuts sperm ducts so sperm are not released during ejaculation • Pros: 99.9% effective against pregnancy, can be reversed in some cases • Cons: Male may never be able to have children again, not effective against disease, expensive and risk of surgery • Sterilization small surgery cuts oviducts so eggs never make it to the uterus • Pros: 99.9% effective against pregnancy • Cons: Cannot undo the surgery, not effective against disease, expensive and risk of surgery

14. The “Morning After Pill” • The most controversial oral contraceptive pill to have been developed is the so-called ‘morning-after pill’ • The ‘morning-after pill’ is a single large dose of progesterone taken up to 72 hours after sexual intercourse • The initial high level of progesterone in the female body stimulates development of the lining of the womb • The sudden drop in progesterone in the days after the pill has been taken, prevents implantation of a potential embryo into the lining of the womb • Also progesterone spike may inhibit sperm from reaching oocyte

15. This Big Issue…. • Are contraceptives a good thing? • Pros: • Easier to control population growth • Less chance of unwanted pregnancy from breaking condoms, rape, or wild mistakes from a crazy night at a bar • Cons: • Removes major deterrent from sexual activity spreading through young people • Promiscuity (sleeping with many people with little emotional attachment) is looked down upon in many cultures • Increased sex can lead to increase sexual diseases, but the pill does not protect against those • What do you think?

16. This Big Issue…Is Older Than You Think… • Forgotten history... • What is this and what does it mean? • WRONG! • The heart is not a symbol of “love” the way we see it today. • It was originally a symbol of “sex and lust” • The symbol comes from the seeds of the silphium plant species, a common plant in the Roman age • The Romans connected this seed to sex because the seed is a natural contraceptive • Eating the seed meant you could have sex without having children • Why don’t use it today? • It is extinct! Humans were eating the seeds, so it never got to reproduce enough and it died out