Patient Education |
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How do women get pregnant? When a man gets sexually aroused a few thousand sperm often leak out of his penis. If the man continues to be sexually stimulated, he may have an orgasm (ejaculate). As the male orgasm begins, millions of sperm travel up the vas deferens, over the bladder, through the prostate gland, into the urethra, and out of the penis. The sperm are moved along this path by rhythmic pulses.
Pregnancy can occur if any sperm land near or inside the vagina. Sperm swim up the vagina, through the opening of the cervix, through the uterus, and into the fallopian tubes, a sperm can live for 3-5 days inside the women. If an egg is in one of the tubes, a sperm can join it (fertilize it). This joining of the egg and sperm (fertilization) can happen up to 5 days after couple has had sex. The fertilized egg travels, for a few days, down the fallopian tubes and into the uterus. After the fertilized egg has been in the uterus. The egg and sperm form a single cell that divides into more cells. Over the next nine months, these cells develop into a baby.
Women's Reproductive Organs |
Men's Reproductive Organs |
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| During a normal 28 day reproductive cycle, a women's body releases a single egg from a follicle in one of her ovaries. The egg travels down a fallopian tube, where it can be fertilized by a man's sperm. If the egg is fertilized, it travels to the uterus, where it implants into the lining, called endometrium and begins to develop into a fetus. | A man's testes, located in the scrotal sac, produce sperm and the hormone testosterone. As sperm are produced, they pass through the coiled channels of the epididymis, which store and nourish them as they mature. Once mature, the sperm move through the vas deferens and into the seminal vesicles, where they are stored until the man ejaculates.
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A women's Monthly menstrual cycle drives the reproductive process. The cycle occurs in two phases
The cycle is controlled by several hormones:
- Follicle stimulating (FSH)
- Luteinizing hormone (LH)
- Estrogen
- Progesterone
During the follicular phase, FSH stimulates the development of a fluid-filled sac called a follicle in one of the ovaries. This follicle then produces a mature egg. The developing follicle also secretes estrogen, which prepares the cervical mucus to receive a man's sperm.
Fertilization of the egg typically occurs on or around Day 16 of the menstrual cycle. The fertilized egg moves through the fallopian tube to the uterus, where it implants and develops. Tests can confirm a pregnancy at the time that a women's period is late.
The luteal phase occurs after ovulation. In the place where the follicle ruptured to release the egg, a structure called the corpus luteum forms. The corpus luteum produces estrogen and progesterone, the two hormones necessary for developing and maintaining the endometrium (the lining of the uterus) so a fertilized egg can implant and develop.
If fertilization does not occur, the corpus luteum stops producing estrogen and progesterone. This causes the uterus to break down and shed its lining, which is the beginning of the women's period. The egg passes through the women's body and the cycle begins again.
The development of normal, mature sperm is the key to male fertility. Sperm production is primarily regulated by two hormones:
- Follicle stimulating (FSH)
- Luteinizing hormone (LH)
FSH is responsible for stimulation sperm production in the testicles. LH stimulates the production of testosterone, the hormone that helps maintain male sexual characteristics. Under the influence of testosterone and other hormones. immature sperm cells develop through several stages and eventually become mature sperm cells. Sperm then pass through the epididymis, where, after 18 to 24 hours, they gain motility, or movement. Finally, mature sperm move through the vas deferens and are stored in the seminal vesicles until ejaculation. The complete process takes about 72 days.
When a man ejaculates sperm from the seminal vesicles combines with thick fluid from the prostate and other glands to create semen. This fluid can be deposited into a woman's vagina, the sperm then travels through the cervix and uterus to fertilize an egg.
It is important to remember that age is not an absolute barrier to pregnancy. However, both female and male fertility decreases with age.
Any change in the complicated sequence of events in the male or female reproductive cycle can disrupt ovulation, conception, or pregnancy, possibly resulting in infertility.
West Texas Reproductive Center offers and maintains this Web site to provide information of a general nature about our practice and conditions requiring the services of a reproductive endocrinologist and infertility specialist. The information is provided for patients and Web site visitors with the understanding that West Texas Reproductive Center is not engaged in rendering surgical or medical advice via the Web. Any information in the publications, articles, or external internet links on this Web site are not considered a substitute for consultation with a reproductive endocrinologist or infertility specialist to address individual medical needs. Individual facts and circumstances will determine the treatment that is most appropriate.