A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

P

PANHYPOPITUITARISM Complete pituitary gland failure.

PARLODEL See Bromocriptine.

PATENT The condition of being open, as with tubes that form part of the reproductive organs.

PELVIC INFLAMMATORY DISEASE (PID) An infection of the pelvic organs that causes severe illness, high fever, and extreme pain. PID may lead to tubal blockage and pelvic adhesions.

MENOGON (HMG) A medication used to replace the pituitary hormones LH and FSH. May be used to induce ovulation in women who do not respond to clomiphene citrate. Most frequently used with women who do not normally produce estrogen because of a pituitary gland or hypothalamic malfunction. May also be used with men to stimulate sperm production.

PITUITARY GLAND The master gland; the gland that is stimulated by the hypothalamus and controls all hormonal functions. Located at the base of the brain just below the hypothalamus, this gland controls many major hormonal factories throughout the body including the gonads, the adrenal glands, and the thyroid gland.

PLACENTA The embryonic tissue that invades the uterine wall and provides a mechanism for exchanging the babys waste products for the mothers nutrients and oxygen. The baby is connected to the placenta by the umbilical cord.

POLAR BODY The discarded genetic material resulting from female germ cell division. See Meiosis.

POLYCYSTIC OVARIES (PCO OR "STEINLEVENTHAL SYNDROME") A condition found in women who dont ovulate, characterized by excessive production of androgens (male sex hormones) and the presence of cysts in the ovaries. Though PCO can be without symptoms, some include excessive weight gain, acne and excessive hair growth.

POST COITAL TEST (PCT) A microscopic examination of the cervical mucus best performed twelve or more hours after intercourse to determine compatibility between the womans mucus and the mans semen; a test used to detect sperm-mucus interaction problems, the presence of sperm antibodies, and the quality of the cervical mucus.

POSTTESTICULAR SYSTEM The ducts that store and deliver the sperm to the opening of the penis; also includes the glands that produce seminal fluids.

PREMATURE OVARIAN FAILURE A condition where the ovary runs out of follicles before the normal age associated with menopause.

PRETESTICULAR SYSTEM The male hormonal system responsible for stimulating sperm production and the development of male secondary sex characteristics.

PROGESTERONE The hormone produced by the corpus luteum during the second half of a womans cycle. It thickens the lining of the uterus to prepare it to accept implantation of a fertilised egg.

PROGESTERONE WITHDRAWAL A diagnostic procedure used to analyze menstrual irregularity and amenorrhea; uterine bleeding that occurs within two weeks after taking progesterone; a procedure used to demonstrate the presence or absence of estrogen and to demonstrate the ability of the uterus and reproductive tract to bleed. Prior to ovulation induction therapy, progesterone withdrawal may be used to induce a menstrual period.

PROLACTIN The hormone that stimulates the production of milk in breast feeding women. Excessive prolactin levels when not breast feeding may result in infertility.

PROSTAGLANDINS Hormone like substances found in men and women. It is hypothesised that prostaglandins secreted by active, young endometrial implants may interfere with the reproductive organs by causing muscular contractions or spasms. Also, prostaglandins not washed from sperm can cause severe cramping during IUI procedures.

PROSTATE GLAND A gland in the male reproductive system that produces a portion of the semen, including a chemical that liquifies the coagulated semen twenty minutes to one hour after entering the vagina.