ANATOMY OF THE FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM

EXTERNAL GENITALIA
Our overview of the reproductive system begins at the external genital area— or vulva—
which runs from the pubic area downward to the rectum. Two folds of fatty, fleshy tissue
surround the entrance to the vagina and the urinary opening: the labia majora, or outer folds, and
the labia minora, or inner folds, located under the labia majora. The clitoris, is a relatively short
organ (less than one-inch-long), shielded by a hood of flesh. When stimulated sexually, the
clitoris can become erect like a man's penis. The hymen, a thin membrane protecting the entrance
of the vagina, stretches when you insert a tampon or have intercourse.
INTERNAL REPRODUCTIVE STRUCTURE

The Vagina
The vagina is a muscular, ridged sheath connecting the external genitals to the uterus,
where the embryo grows into a fetus during pregnancy. In the reproductive process, the vagina
functions as a two-way street, accepting the penis and sperm during intercourse and roughly nine
months later, serving as the avenue of birth through which the new baby enters the world.

The Cervix
The vagina ends at the cervix, the lower portion or neck of the uterus. Like the vagina,
the cervix has dual reproductive functions.
After intercourse, sperm ejaculated in the vagina pass through the cervix, and then
proceed through the uterus to the fallopian tubes where, if a sperm encounters an ovum (egg),
conception occurs. The cervix is lined with mucus, the quality and quantity of which is governed
by monthly fluctuations in the levels of the two principle sex hormones, estrogen and
progesterone.
When estrogen levels are low, the mucus tends to be thick and sparse, which makes it
difficult for sperm to reach the fallopian tubes. But when an egg is ready for fertilization and
estrogen levels are high the mucus then becomes thin and slippery, offering a much friendlier
environment to sperm as they struggle towards their goal. (This phenomenon is employed by
birth control pills, shots and implants. One of the ways they prevent conception is to render the
cervical mucus thick, sparse, and hostile to sperm.)
The Uterus
The uterus or womb is the major female reproductive organ of humans. One end, the
cervix, opens into the vagina; the other is connected on both sides to the fallopian tubes.
The uterus mostly consists of muscle, known as myometrium. Its major function is to accept a
fertilized ovum which becomes implanted into the endometrium, and derives nourishment from
blood vessels which develop exclusively for this purpose. The fertilized ovum becomes an
embryo, develops into a fetus and gestates until childbirth.

The Oviducts
The Fallopian tubes or oviducts are two very fine tubes leading from the ovaries of
female mammals into the uterus.
On maturity of an ovum, the follicle and the ovary's wall rupture, allowing the ovum to
escape and enter the Fallopian tube. There it travels toward the uterus, pushed along by
movements of cilia on the inner lining of the tubes. This trip takes hours or days. If the ovum is
fertilized while in the Fallopian tube, then it normally implants in the endometrium when it
reaches the uterus, which signals the beginning of pregnancy.

The Ovaries
The ovaries are the place inside the female body where ova or eggs are produced. The
process by which the ovum is released is called ovulation. The speed of ovulation is periodic and
impacts directly to the length of a menstrual cycle.
After ovulation, the ovum is captured by the oviduct, where it travelled down the oviduct
to the uterus, occasionally being fertilized on its way by an incoming sperm, leading to
pregnancy and the eventual birth of a new human being.
The Fallopian tubes are often called the oviducts and they have small hairs (cilia) to help the egg
cell travel.

References:
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/9118-female-reproductive-system
https://www.rnpedia.com/nursing-notes/maternal-and-child-nursing-
notes/shoulder-dystocia/?fbclid=IwAR1hqa9pUCGt0RWzzIA9ZQ-
L7g_eP7dWgmdhq2DS0jWIF1J7lHuphygcviY
https://www.uptodate.com/contents/shoulder-dystocia-risk-factors-and-
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https://nurseslabs.com/4-dysfunctional-labor-dystocia-nursing-care-
plans/#risk_for_fetal_injury