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chestnut
chestnut name for any species of the genus Castanea, deciduous trees of the family Fagaceae ( beech or oak family) widely distributed in the Northern Hemisphere. They are characterized by thin-shelled, sweet, edible nuts borne in a bristly bur. The common American chestnut, C. dentata, is nati...
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vagina
vagina
is the Latin word for ‘sheath’, which makes an interesting comparison with the alternative word for a condom. From this same root, the term ‘invaginated’ means ensheathed, or turned in on itself, like the finger of an empty glove introverte...
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uterus
uterus in most female mammals, hollow muscular organ in which the fetus develops and from which it is delivered at the end of pregnancy . The human uterus is pear-shaped and about 3 in. (7.6 cm) long (it expands greatly during pregnancy); it normally lies in the pelvis, where it is supported by a ...
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Pap test
Pap test Pap smear, or Papanicolaou test , medical procedure used to detect cancer of the uterine cervix. A scraping, brushing, or smear, is taken from the surface of the vagina or cervix and is prepared on a slide and stained for microscopic examination and cytological analysis. The ap...
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chorionic villus sampling
chorionic villus sampling (CVS) or chorionic villus biopsy (CVB) , diagnostic procedure in which a sample of chorionic villi from the developing placenta is removed from the uterus of a pregnant woman (see pregnancy ) using a fine needle inserted through the abdomen or a thin plastic catheter...
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human papillomavirus
human papillomavirus (HPV), any of a family of more than 60 viruses that cause various growths, including plantar warts and genital warts, a sexually transmitted disease . Detectable warts can be or removed, usually by chemicals, freezing, or laser, but often recur. Intralesional alpha interfero...
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hysterectomy
hysterectomy , surgical removal of the uterus . A hysterectomy may involve removal of the uterus only or additional removal of the cervix (base of the uterus), fallopian tubes (salpingectomy), and ovaries (oophorectomy). It may be performed through a conventional abdominal incision or through t...
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cystitis
cystitis , common acute or chronic inflammation of the urinary bladder . The disease occurs primarily in young women and frequently results from bacterial invasion of the urethra from the adjacent rectum, most commonly with normally occurring intestinal bacteria such as E. coli. It is also common...
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estrogen
estrogen , any one of a group of hormones synthesized by the reproductive organs and adrenal glands in females and, in lesser quantities, in males. The estrogens cause the thickening of the lining of the uterus and vagina in the early phase of the ovulatory, or menstrual, cycle (see menstruat...
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birth control
birth control practice of contraception for the purpose of limiting reproduction.
Methods of Birth Control
Male birth control methods include withdrawal of the male before ejaculation (the oldest contraceptive technique) and use of the condom, a rubber sheath covering the penis. The condo...
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