Androgens - hormones that are normally associated with men
and can cause the body to have male features, like chest hair
or facial hair. Testosterone is an example of an androgen.
Birth control - methods to prevent pregnancy
Birth control pills - pills with hormones that a woman can
take to prevent pregnancy
Birth defects - when the baby does not develop normally,
such as how their body parts or organs form, like heart defects
or brain defects
Bladder - an organ in your body that holds your urine
Bladder infection - when bacteria enters the bladder (where
pee is stored in the body)
Blood sugar - the amount of sugar in the blood that the body
can use for fuel. Normal blood sugar is between 70 to120.
Body mass index (BMI) - the measure of a persons weight compared to his/her height. BMI can tell a healthy weight range for an individual person. BMI might show a person is underweight, normal, overweight, or obese.
Cardiovascular activity - any exercise that makes the heart
beat faster
Cervical cap - a very small cup that is made to fit over the
cervix so that the sperm cannot reach the egg
Cervix - the opening of a woman’s uterus
Cesarean-section (C-section) - a surgery to deliver a baby in
which a doctor removes the baby from the mother’s uterus
(womb). Sometimes, the woman and her healthcare team
may plan to do a C-section, but other women need it as an
emergency surgery to save her or her baby’s life
Community resources - tools, people, or organizations in your
community that can help you reach your goals
Condoms - a form of birth control that covers a man’s penis so
that his sperm cannot enter a woman’s vagina
Conception - the meeting of a man’s sperm and a woman’s egg, which causes a baby to
develop inside of the woman (pregnancy)
Depo Shots - a form of hormonal birth control that is injected with a needle every 3 months
to prevent pregnancy
Diaphragm - a dome-shaped cup that is inserted into the vagina to prevent sperm from
reaching the egg
Dual method protection - using two forms of birth control, a condom and another birth
control method, to prevent a pregnancy and infections that are spread through sex
Egg - a cell made in a woman’s body that can combine with a sperm to make a baby
Ejaculation - when a man squirts sperm outside of his body
Embryo - the collection of growing cells in the weeks after conception that develops into a
baby
Emergency contraception - a pill that a woman can take to help prevent pregnancy if she
takes it within three days of having unprotected sex; also called EC or Plan B
Erection - when a man’s penis becomes hard during sexual intercourse
Estrogen – the main sex hormone made in a woman’s ovaries; important for periods and
pregnancy
Fallopian tubes - an organ in the woman’s reproductive system that serves as the path that
the egg follows from the ovary to the uterus
Family planning - activities that help a person (or couple) to freely plan their pregnancies and
how many children they want, and when to have them; and to choose the methods (like birth
control) by which to achieve this. Family planning can include waiting longer to have sex or
not having sex (delaying sex and abstinence)
Fetus - a developing baby inside a woman’s uterus
Genetic counseling - getting advice from a professional about the chance that your child
might be born with a genetic disease
Gestational diabetes (GDM) - a condition in which a pregnant woman’s body cannot use the
sugar from the food she eats; can harm both the mother and the baby. Women who have had
gestational diabetes have a higher risk of having diabetes in the future, as do their children.
Healthcare professional - includes nurses, nurse practitioners, doctors, nutritionists, and
anyone on the healthcare team who helps to take care of a patient
High blood pressure - blood pressure is the force of blood flow inside your blood vessels;
your heart has to work harder when your blood pressure is high; high blood pressure that starts during pregnancy can lead to serious complications
Hormonal birth control - when a woman takes birth control
medicines with hormones to prevent pregnancy
Hormone-free birth control - when a woman uses birth
control methods that do not contain hormones in order to
prevent pregnancy
Hormones - chemical messengers in the body
Hypoglycemia - when the blood sugar gets too low. Mothers
can get hypoglycemic if they have too much insulin or if
their cells are not getting enough sugar from the blood to
make energy; newborn babies can have hypoglycemia if its
pancreas is still making a lot of insulin even though it is no
longer receiving high blood sugar from the mother.
Insulin - a hormone that helps blood sugar to get into the
cells of the body
Insulin resistance - when insulin does not help sugar from
food get into the cells for energy
IUD - a device that inserted into the uterus to prevent
pregnancy; some contain hormones while others do not
Long acting reversible contraception - birth control methods
that are inserted into a woman’s body to provide long-lasting
birth control; can be removed when a woman decides to have
a baby
Jaundice - a condition that can cause a baby’s skin and eyes to
turn yellowish-orange
Macrosomia - when the baby is larger than normal. This can
increase the risk of the baby being injured during birth and
also increases the risk of the mom having a C-section
Miscarriage - when an unborn baby dies when it is still in the
uterus
Neural tube defects - when a baby’s brain and/or backbone
does not develop properly
Nuva Ring - a plastic ring that contains hormones that is
inserted into a woman’s vagina to prevent pregnancy
Obesity - when the body has too much body fat; can cause health problems
Ovaries - organs in a woman’s reproductive system that produce and stores eggs
Patch - a sticky patch that attaches to a woman’s skin and releases hormones to prevent
pregnancy
Pancreas - an organ in the body that produces insulin
Penis - an organ in the male reproductive system that is inserted into the woman’s vagina
during sexual intercourse
Period (also called menstruation, moon time, or monthly cycles) - a woman’s monthly
bleeding that occurs when she is not pregnant
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) - A hormonal disorder in which a woman has both
irregular periods and high amounts of androgens, like testosterone, in the blood. This can
cause acne and extra hair on the face, neck and chest and belly, and can make it harder to get
pregnant.
Preconception counseling - help and advice that a healthcare professional shares with a
woman (starting at puberty) so that she can have a healthy pregnancy; happens before a
woman is pregnant. Preconception counseling increases your chances of having a healthy
pregnancy and healthy baby by teaching you how to keep normal blood sugars and
postpone a pregnancy until it’s safe and wanted.
Preeclampsia - dangerously high blood pressure during pregnancy that can cause serious
illness to both the woman and the baby
Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) - Monthly changes in a woman’s mood and body before she
gets her period; caused by changes in hormones
Preterm birth (Premature birth) - when a baby is born too early. Preterm infants have an
increased risk of health problems, including breathing problems, eating problems, and
developmental and learning difficulties later in life.
Progesterone - a sex hormone made in a woman’s ovaries; important for periods and
pregnancy
Puberty - when a child’s body grows into an adult’s body
Pubic hair - hair that grows in the pubic area. After puberty, women grow pubic hair near
their vaginas and men grow pubic hair near their penises and testicles
Reproductive system - the parts of the body that are responsible for making babies; both
men and women have reproductive systems
Resources - tools, support, or materials that can help people
to reach their goals; people can also be considered a resource
if they help someone reach their goals
Sexual intercourse - when a man puts his penis in a woman’s
vagina
Sexually transmitted disease (STD) - infections that can enter
the reproductive system; can be spread between partners
during sexual intercourse. Examples of these are chlamydia,
gonorrhea and HIV/AIDS. Condoms help prevent STDs.
Sperm - a cell made in a man’s body that can combine with an
egg to make a baby
Spermicide - a gel that kills sperm to prevent pregnancy; used
during sexual intercourse
Sponge - a piece of round foam that is inserted into the
vagina in order to prevent the sperm from reaching the egg;
often contains spermicide
Spotting/irregular bleeding - bleeding from the vagina
between periods
Stillbirth - when a baby is born dead. The risk of stillbirth is
higher for mothers who are overweight or who have diabetes
Testicles - organs in the male reproductive system that make
and store sperm
Testosterone - the main male sex hormone
Trimester - a time span of three months during pregnancy; an
entire pregnancy is three trimesters (about 9 months)
Type 2 diabetes - when the body cannot use the sugar from
the food you eat; overeating, especially eating unhealthy
foods and not exercising can increase the risk of getting
diabetes
Ultrasound - a machine that can take a picture of an unborn
baby while it is still in the mother’s uterus (womb)
Urinary tract infection (UTI) - when bacteria enters the tube
that connects the bladder to the outside of the body
Uterus - an organ in a woman’s reproductive system where an unborn baby develops; also
called a womb
Vagina - the canal that connects a woman’s uterus with the outside of the body
Yeast infection - an itchy, painful infection that can occur in and around a woman’s vagina