Letter	Term	Definition
A	Asexual	reproduction not involving the fusion of gametes.
B	Barrier Methods	a method of contraception using a device or preparation which prevents live sperm from reaching an ovum.
	Birth Control	the practice of preventing unwanted pregnancies, especially by use of contraception.
C	Cervical Mucus	fluid or gel-like discharge from the cervix. Throughout a woman's menstrual cycle, the thickness and amount of cervical mucus changes due to fluctuating hormone levels.
	Cervix	the narrow passage forming the lower end of the uterus.
	Chromosome	a threadlike structure of nucleic acids and protein found in the nucleus of most living cells, carrying genetic information in the form of genes.
	Conception	the process of becoming pregnant involving fertilization or implantation or both.
	Condom	a thin rubber sheath worn on a man's penis during sexual intercourse as a contraceptive or as a protection against infection.
	Contracept	to prevent the conception of (offspring). to prevent pregnancy or impregnation in; provide with the means for birth control.
	Contraception	the deliberate use of artificial methods or other techniques to prevent pregnancy as a consequence of sexual intercourse.
	Contraceptive	a device or drug serving to prevent pregnancy.
	Copulation	sexual intercourse.
D	Dental Dam	A thin, square piece of latex that helps prevent the spread of STDs when placed over the vulva or anus during oral sex.
	Diaphragm	A birth control device made of soft silicone and shaped like a shallow cup. The diaphragm t covers the cervix to prevent pregnancy. Used with spermicide, the diaphragm is a reversible barrier method of birth control available only by prescription.
	Doula	A person who gives emotional support during pregnancy, labor, and childbirth and for some time after.
	Dry orgasm	Orgasm from a penis without ejaculation (when semen comes out of the penis).
	Dysmenorrhea	throbbing or cramping pains in the lower abdomen.
E	Ejaculation	the action of ejecting semen from the body.
	Endocrine System	a chemical messenger system consisting of hormones, the group of glands of an organism that secrete those hormones directly into the circulatory system to regulate the function of distant target organs, and the feedback loops which modulate hormone release so that homeostasis is maintained.
	Erection	an enlarged and rigid state of the penis, typically in sexual excitement.
	Estrogen	any of a group of steroid hormones which promote the development and maintenance of female characteristics of the body. Such hormones are also produced artificially for use in oral contraceptives or to treat menopausal and menstrual disorders.
F	Family Planning	the practice of controlling the number of children in a family and the intervals between their births, particularly by means of artificial contraception or voluntary sterilization.
	Fertility	the ability to conceive children or young.
	Fertilization	the action or process of fertilizing an egg, female animal, or plant, involving the fusion of male and female gametes to form a zygote.
G	Gamete	a mature haploid male or female germ cell which is able to unite with another of the opposite sex in sexual reproduction to form a zygote.
	Gene	a distinct sequence of nucleotides forming part of a chromosome, the order of which determines the order of monomers in a polypeptide or nucleic acid molecule which a cell (or virus) may synthesize.
	Genital	a person or animal's external organs of reproduction.
	Gonad	an organ that produces gametes; a testis or ovary.
H	Haploid	(of a cell or nucleus) having a single set of unpaired chromosomes.
	Hirsutism	abnormal growth of hair on a person's face and body, especially on a woman.
	Homeostasis	the tendency toward a relatively stable equilibrium between interdependent elements, especially as maintained by physiological processes.
	Hormonal Contraceptives	birth control methods that act on the endocrine system.
	Hormone	a regulatory substance produced in an organism and transported in tissue fluids such as blood or sap to stimulate specific cells or tissues into action.
	Human Reproductive System	the system of organs and parts which function in reproduction consisting in the male especially of the testes, penis, seminal vesicles, prostate, and urethra and in the female especially of the ovaries, fallopian tubes, uterus, vagina, and vulva.
I	Infertility	inability to conceive children or young.
	Intercourse/Sexual Intercourse	sexual contact between individuals involving penetration, especially the insertion of a man's erect penis into a woman's vagina, typically culminating in orgasm and the ejaculation of semen.
	Intrauterine Device (IUD)	a small, often T-shaped birth control device that is inserted into the uterus to prevent pregnancy.
J	Jizz	semen, ejaculate.
K	Klinefelter’s syndrome	An intersex condition where someone is born with one Y and two X chromosomes (XXY). Sometimes diagnosed during puberty, sometimes not until adulthood, depending on symptoms. Symptoms can include a small penis, abnormal body proportions, and infertility.
L	Libido	sexual desire.
	Lubricant	a water-based liquid or jelly used to enhance or replace a woman's natural lubrication during sexual intercourse.
M	Meiosis	a type of cell division that results in four daughter cells each with half the number of chromosomes of the parent cell, as in the production of gametes and plant spores.
	Menorrhagia	medical term for menstrual periods with abnormally heavy or prolonged bleeding.
	Method Effectiveness	the reliability of a contraceptive method.
	Mitosis	a type of cell division that results in two daughter cells each having the same number and kind of chromosomes as the parent nucleus, typical of ordinary tissue growth.
N	Non-hormonal Contraceptives	birth control options that do not contain hormones.
	Nucleotide	a compound consisting of a nucleoside linked to a phosphate group. Nucleotides form the basic structural unit of nucleic acids such as DNA.
O	Oral Contraceptive	a birth control method taken by mouth.
	Ovulation	the release of an egg during menstruation in females.
	Ovum	a mature female reproductive cell, especially of a human or other animal, which can divide to give rise to an embryo usually only after fertilization by a male cell.
P	Penis	the male genital organ of higher vertebrates, carrying the duct for the transfer of sperm during copulation. In humans and most other mammals, it consists largely of erectile tissue and serves also for the elimination of urine.
	Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)	a condition that affects how the function of ovaries.
	Pregnancy	the condition or period of being pregnant.
	Pregnant	having a child or young developing in the uterus.
	Progestogen/Progestin	a natural or synthetic steroid hormone, such as progesterone, that maintains pregnancy and prevents further ovulation during pregnancy.
	Progesterone	a steroid hormone released by the corpus luteum that stimulates the uterus to prepare for pregnancy.
	Puberty	the period during which adolescents reach sexual maturity and become capable of reproduction.
Q	Queer	A word that can refer to a variety of sexual identities and gender identities that are anything other than straight and cisgender.
	Questioning	Being unsure about your sexual orientation or gender identity.
R	Reproduction	the production of offspring by a sexual or asexual process.
S	Semen	the male reproductive fluid, containing spermatozoa in suspension.
	Seminal Fluid	semen, also known as seminal fluid, is an organic fluid that may contain spermatozoa. It is secreted by the gonads and other sexual organs of male or hermaphroditic animals and can fertilize female ova.
	Seminiferous Tubules	any of the coiled threadlike tubules that make up the bulk of the testis and are lined with a layer of epithelial cells from which the spermatozoa are produced.
	Sex Drive	the urge to seek satisfaction of sexual needs.
	Sexual Intercourse	sexual contact between individuals involving penetration, especially the insertion of a man's erect penis into a woman's vagina, typically culminating in orgasm and the ejaculation of semen.
	Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD)	any of various diseases or infections that can be transmitted by direct sexual contact including some (as syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, and genital herpes) chiefly spread by sexual means and others (as hepatitis B and AIDS) often contracted by nonsexual means.
	Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI)	an infection you can get by having sex. Some STIs (such as gonorrhea and chlamydia) infect your sexual and reproductive organs. Others (such as HIV, hepatitis B, and syphilis) cause general body infections. STIs used to be called VDs, or venereal diseases.
	Sperm	semen.
	Spermatazoa	the mature motile male sex cell of an animal, by which the ovum is fertilized, typically having a compact head and one or more long flagella for swimming.
	Spermatid	an immature male sex cell formed from a spermatocyte that can develop into a spermatozoon without further division.
	Spermatocyte	a cell produced at the second stage in the formation of spermatozoa, formed from a spermatogonium and dividing by meiosis into spermatids.
	Spermatogenesis	the production or development of mature spermatozoa.
	Spermicide	a substance that kills spermatozoa, used as a contraceptive.
	Sponge	contraceptive device that prevents sperm from entering the cervix and also contains spermicide.
	Sterile	not able to produce children or young.
	Sterilization	action to make a person or animal unable to produce offspring.
T	Testis	an organ which produces spermatozoa (male reproductive cells).
U	Urethra	the duct by which urine is conveyed out of the body from the bladder, and which in male vertebrates also conveys semen.
V	Vas-deferens	the duct which conveys sperm from the testicle to the urethra.
	Vasectomy	the surgical cutting and sealing of part of each vas deferens, typically as a means of sterilization.
W	Wet dreams	Erotic dreams that can lead to ejaculation or vaginal lubrication. Common during puberty.
X	Xe (xe, xem, xyr, xyrs, xemself)	A gender-neutral pronoun (or set of pronouns) some people use for themselves to replace “he,” “she,” or “they.”
	XY Chromosomes	The pair of sex-differentiating chromosomes that leads to someone being born with a penis and scrotum. Babies with xy chromosomes are usually assigned male at birth.
	X chromosome	One of the two sex-determining chromosomes in many organisms, including mammals, and is found in both males and females.
Y	Y Chromosome	One of two sex chromosomes in therian mammals, including humans, and many other animals. Y is normally the sex-determining chromosome in many species, since it is the presence or absence of Y that typically determines the male or female sex of offspring produced in sexual reproduction.
Z	Zygote	a diploid cell resulting from the fusion of two haploid gametes; a fertilized ovum.