Module 3S1 Reproductive Systems

Big Picture

As a young adult heading into your reproductive years, you are not often asked if you are planning to propagate your species. However, having a baby definitely contributes to the continuation of the human species by adding one more body to the population of the world.

You may or may not have considered whether your future will include your own children. That is a personal decision. When you do consider your future you may be faced with questions such as the following:

• Do you want to have children? Why or why not? How many?
• At what age to you want to start your family?
• Are there decisions or medical conditions that can impact your ability to conceive a child?

Some sexually transmitted infections and childhood illnesses can cause fertility problems later on in life. Diseases such as the mumps can cause infertility but can be avoided altogether if you were immunized against mumps as a child.

 As a young adult it is often difficult to look into the future to see whether problems might arise because of parental or personal choices made in childhood or youth. Although you cannot change the past, being informed can help you make better choices today and in the future.

If you are to suffer problems with fertility, this will make your personal choices around having a family more difficult, as well as your potential role in the continuation of the human species.

Couples with infertility issues can face a daunting journey from diagnosis through to treatment. This module will give you further information about the three couples facing fertility issues that you will follow throughout the unit. As their fertility doctor you will have to work with these three couples on their fertility problems. You will try and discover their fertility issues through their history and physical exam results, (finding the problem(s)), diagnosis (identifying the cause of the problem(s)), and consultation (discussing the problem(s)). You will guide the couples through their fertility issues from conception to the birth of their child. You can review the information about these couples by reading "A Fertility Case Study." You will collect more information on each couple and their fertility challenges as you work through the lessons to complete the unit assessment.

The introduction to these couples and the work you do in this module will help you understand how the structures of the male and female reproductive systems function and their role in ensuring the survival of the human species through reproduction.

You will explore the following essential questions:

• What are the structures and functions of the male and female reproductive systems?
• What are the functional units of the male and female reproductive systems?
• How are the functional egg and sperm supported and nourished through to their development?
• What genetic factors and hormonal influences are there on the formation of the gonads and reproductive organs in the male and female embryo and fetus?
• How can sexually transmitted infections (STIs) interfere with fertility and reproduction?
• How do social, cultural, environmental, ethical, and economic perspectives apply to decisions regarding the use of any scientific or technological developments?