As we discussed in Chapters 4 and 5, sperm production and ovulation are a result of a well-balanced endocrine system (pituitary, hypothalamus, and gonads). Some women and men have hormonal irregularities that may interfere with the process of ovulation or sperm production. Although we do not always know why these hormonal problems develop, many problems […]

Problems with infertility and gay and lesbian couples’ desire to parent have given rise to artificial means of conception. Reproductive technologies that have been developed in the last few years enable some couples to have children even when one of them is in­fertile or they are the same gender. These technologies, although exciting, may also […]

Almost every culture places a great deal of importance on the ability to have children. Rice was originally thrown at couples after marriage, in fact, because onlookers hoped that the great fertility of the rice plant would be transferred to the married couple. The same is true of the baby’s breath plant, which was traditionally […]

hroughout the world, people have relied on folk wisdom to predict the sex of their baby. Here are some examples: It’s a Girl! Baby sits on the left side of the womb (Nyinba, Nepal). Mother puts her left foot first crossing the threshold (Bihar, India). Baby sits low in the belly (Lepchas, Himalayas, and Bedouin […]

There are more male babies born every year than female; however, the ratio of male to female children has decreased significantly during the last few years. As we discussed in Chapter 3, although more males are conceived, a higher percentage of male fetuses spon­taneously abort or die before birth than female fetuses (Fukuda et al., […]

If you have had sexual intercourse without using birth control or have experienced any of the signs of pregnancy, it is a good idea to take a pregnancy test. Over-the-counter pregnancy tests can be purchased in drugstores, but sometimes tests are less expensive or even free in university health centers. Pregnancy tests measure for a […]

If the zygote does implant, most women experience physical signs very early that alert them to their pregnancy. The most common early indicator is missing a period, although some women notice some “spotting” that occurs during the pregnancy (anything more than this is often referred to as irregular bleeding and it may indicate a possible […]

o you remember where you thought babies came from as a child? How old were you? Did you talk to your friends about your ideas of where ba­bies came from? What did they say? Psychologist Anne Bernstein interviewed children be­tween the ages of 3 and 12 to examine their ideas about sex and childbirth. She […]

Our bodies are biologically programmed to help pregnancy occur in many different ways. For instance, a woman’s sexual desire is usually at its peak during her ovulation and just prior to her menstruation (Wilcox et al., 2004). During ovulation, a mucus plug in the cervix disappears, making it easier for sperm to enter the uterus, […]

When the American Psychiatric Association (APA) decided in 1973 to remove homo­sexuality from its list of official mental diseases, many psychiatrists were outraged. They demanded a vote of the full APA membership. Think about that. Is that how questions of science should be decided—by a vote? But the whole question of homosexuality had become so […]