Menstrual cycle - controlling fertility

all about the hormones in the menstrual cycle

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Hormones in the Menstrual Cycle


Oestrogen and Progesterone are the two main hormones, these two hormones control the main events of the cycle:

Oestrogen - causes the lining of the uterus to thicken and grow 
                - stimulates the release of an egg at day 14
Progesterone - maintains the lining of the uterus. -- when the level of progesterone falls, the lining breaks down.

Stage 1- Day 1 to Day 4- caused by the lack of Progesterone - lining of the uterus breaks down
Stage 2  Day 4 to Day 14 - caused by Oestrogen - lining of the uterus builds up.
Stage 3 Day 14 - caused by Oestrogen - egg released
Stage 4 Day 14 to Day 28 - caused by Progesterone - lining of uterus maintained

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Female Hormones are used to Control Babies


When couples are trying to have babies and it doesn't seem to be happening, there are quite a few new fertility treatments that can be employed.
One of the simplest is prescribing a hormone which can be taken by women to stimulate egg production in their ovaries.
This can work very well but they have to be very careful with the dosage or you get too many eggs being released all at once. This results in multiple births.

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To Stop Egg Production in the Contraceptive pill

'The Pill' as it's cheerfully known, contains both progesterone and oestrogen.
If oestrogen is taken every day to keep the level of it permantley high, then after a while egg production stops and stays stopped.

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Artificial Control Of Fertility


F.S.H can be manufactured and given to women to help increase their fertility.
F.S.H is given to women who don't produce enough of it so they can stimulate eggs to mature and be released.

F.S.H - follicle stimulating Hormone
L.H - lutenising hormone
Makes ovary release an egg (ovulation) - It turns the empty follicle into a yellow body - progesterone.

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The Four Hormones

FSH - follicle stimulating Hormone
        - produced in the pituary gland
        - causes an egg to develop in one of the ovaries
        - Stimulates the ovaries to produce oestrogen

Oestrogen - produced in the ovaries
                - causes the lining of the uterus to thicken and grow 
                - Stimulates the production of LH (which causes the release of an egg) and inhibits production of FSH

LH - Lutenising Hormone
     - Produced by the pituary gland
     - Stimulates the release of an egg at day 14

Progesterone - produced in the ovaries
                    - Maintains the lining of the uterus. When the level of progesterone falls the lining breaks down.

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