Question 1

Home pregnancy tests work by using _______ to detect the presence of _______ in a woman's urine.

Accepted Answer

Home pregnancy tests use antibodies to detect the presence of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), a hormone produced by the placenta shortly after the embryo attaches to the uterine lining.

Question 2

Human chorionic gonadotropin is produced at

Accepted Answer

Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is produced shortly after the embryo implants into the uterine lining, which occurs about 6-12 days after fertilization.

Question 3

Which of the following provides definitive clinical evidence of a pregnancy?

Accepted Answer

Detection of one or more embryos with an ultrasound scan provides definitive clinical evidence of a pregnancy. While other options like a positive home pregnancy test, morning sickness, and a missed menstrual period can suggest pregnancy, they are not definitive. Ultrasound directly visualizes the embryo or fetus.

Question 4

The major symptom that first suggests to a woman that she is pregnant is

Accepted Answer

A missed period is often the first sign that might suggest a woman is pregnant, as it directly indicates a disruption in the menstrual cycle, which can be due to pregnancy.

Question 5

Fetal heartbeats can be detected by

Accepted Answer

Fetal heartbeats can typically be detected by ultrasound around 7 to 9 weeks of gestation. This is when the fetal heartbeat becomes strong enough to be detected by the equipment used in prenatal care.

Question 6

By taking into consideration both the length of time sperm can survive in the female reproductive tract and the length of time an ovum remains viable after ovulation, the "fertile window" of a menstrual cycle includes

Accepted Answer

Sperm can survive in the female reproductive tract for up to 5 days, and the ovum remains viable for about 12-24 hours after ovulation. Therefore, the fertile window includes the 5 days leading up to ovulation and the day of ovulation itself, making option E correct.

Question 7

Of the many steps that a couple can take to maximize their chances for conceiving, the most important is

Accepted Answer

Timing coitus with ovulation is crucial because it ensures that sperm are present in the fallopian tubes at the time the ovum (egg) is released, increasing the chances of fertilization. The other options do not have a scientifically proven impact on increasing the likelihood of conception.

Question 8

Which of the following does not change around the time of ovulation?

Accepted Answer

The consistency of menstrual blood does not change around the time of ovulation. Changes in LH levels, cervical mucus consistency, basal body temperature, and the probability of conception are all associated with the ovulatory cycle.

Question 9

Approximately 15% of couples in the United States have difficulty establishing a pregnancy. The causes for infertility are

Accepted Answer

Infertility issues are as likely to be due to problems on the man's side as on the woman's side, indicating that both genders contribute equally to infertility challenges.

Question 10

The best evidence to suggest that sperm counts in men have been declining over time comes from studies in which researchers

Accepted Answer

The best evidence for a decline in sperm counts over time would come from longitudinal data or meta-analyses that compile and compare data across many years. Option D, which mentions compiling data from studies published over the past 50 years, offers a broad and historical perspective, allowing for the observation of trends over time.

Question 11

The most likely explanation for lower sperm counts in rural compared to urban areas of the United States is

Accepted Answer

Increased exposure to endocrine disruptors and other environmental pollutants in rural areas, often related to agricultural activities, is a well-documented factor that can negatively affect sperm count and overall reproductive health.

Question 12

Male fertility may decrease with normal aging due to

Accepted Answer

Male fertility can decline with age due to a combination of factors including decreased ejaculate volume, decreased concentration of motile sperm, increased damage to sperm DNA, and decreased levels of testosterone. These changes can affect the ability to conceive.

Question 13

Bicycle shorts, strenuous exercise, and saunas may affect fertility by

Accepted Answer

Bicycle shorts, strenuous exercise, and saunas can lead to increased testicular temperatures, which may inhibit spermatogenesis.

Question 14

Which of the following can be used to facilitate pregnancy in couples for whom low sperm count or poor quality sperm are the problem?

Accepted Answer

All the options listed can be used to facilitate pregnancy in cases where low sperm count or poor sperm quality is an issue. In vitro fertilization (IVF) involves combining eggs and sperm outside the body in a laboratory. Artificial insemination involves directly inserting sperm into a woman's uterus. Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) is a specialized form of IVF where a single sperm is injected directly into an egg. Insemination with donor sperm is an option when the male partner's sperm is not viable for fertilization.

Question 15

Which of the following infertility treatments would be appropriate for a woman who has been found to be infertile due to extensive scarring in her oviducts?

Accepted Answer

In vitro fertilization (IVF) is the most appropriate treatment for infertility due to extensive scarring in the oviducts (fallopian tubes). IVF involves retrieving eggs from the ovaries, fertilizing them with sperm in a lab, and then implanting the fertilized egg(s) directly into the uterus, bypassing the damaged oviducts.

Question 16

There are many genetic disorders that can be passed on from parents to children. In order to avoid passing on genetic traits, before a pregnancy has begun parents may select healthy embryos using

Accepted Answer

Preimplantation genetic screening (PGS) is a technique used to identify genetic disorders in embryos created through in vitro fertilization (IVF) before pregnancy begins. This allows parents to select embryos without genetic disorders for implantation.

Question 17

Which of the following does not cause secondary amenorrhea?

Accepted Answer

Frequent masturbation does not cause secondary amenorrhea. Secondary amenorrhea is typically caused by factors that affect hormones, nutrition, or physical stress on the body, such as weight loss, athletic training, stress, and pituitary tumors, but not by sexual practices like masturbation.

Question 18

In blood work run on a woman with fertility problems, hormones measured on day 12 of the menstrual cycle show very low levels of LH, FSH, and estradiol. The most likely reason for this woman's infertility is

Accepted Answer

The low levels of LH (luteinizing hormone), FSH (follicle-stimulating hormone), and estradiol suggest a failure to ovulate. These hormones are crucial for the development and release of an egg from the ovary.

Question 19

The likelihood that an individual woman will give birth to a child with Down syndrome increases with maternal age; however, the vast majority of babies are born to women younger than age 35. As a result, the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology recommends screening for Down syndrome for

Accepted Answer

The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology recommends screening for Down syndrome for all pregnant women, regardless of age, because while the risk increases with maternal age, the majority of babies are born to women under 35, who also contribute to the total number of cases.

Question 20

Gestational surrogacy is most likely to be used if

Accepted Answer

Gestational surrogacy is typically used when the intended mother cannot carry a pregnancy to term either because it's medically impossible or because it poses a significant health risk to her. This option allows for a surrogate to carry the pregnancy, often using the intended parents' genetic material.

Quiz 11: Fertility, Pregnancy, and Childbirth

Home pregnancy tests work by using _ to detect the presence of _ in a woman's urine.