Menopause in the Female Reproductive System - Report Example

Reproductive System: Menopause Name Institution Introduction The female reproductive system is the fertility organ for the production of female sex hormones. The female reproductive system allows the interaction of various body parts and processes that facilitate the reproduction process (Chedrese, 2009). During the development of a woman, the reproductive system undergoes several changes that affect its ability to produce its hormones for various functions. A crucial process that involves female sex hormones is the menstrual cycle. Menstruation is the process where the walls of the endometrial shades off and comes out of the vagina as blood. In a normal woman, the ovaries release an ovum, which travels to the oviducts for fertilization (Chiras, 2011). During ovulation, the endometrial wall undergoes changes, which includes the production of hormones that cause it to thicken. The thickening is in preparation for implantation of the blastocyst. When the egg fails to be fertilized due to the absence of sperms, the levels of progesterone hormones drop cause the collapse of the uterine wall hence menstruation. Changes in the structure and function of the female reproductive system are by both biological factors and psychological factors. These factors affect the production of sex hormones hence interfere with the normal functioning of the systems. As the woman gets older, the menstrual cycle becomes irregular and eventually stops a stage called menopause. During menopause, the reproductive system is not able to ovulate hence cannot produce ova (Freeman et al., 2007). This is due to production of less sex hormones such as progesterone and oestrogen which a vital in the ovulation process. These processes cause various psychological and biological effects in the human body. Some women experience psychological problems that interfere with the process. In addition, menopause can be interfered by biological condition that affects the reproductive system. This paper will focus on the effects of biological factors and psychological factors that affect the female reproductive system and their effects on menopause (Hinchliff et al., 2010). The Female Reproductive System This is the systems, which is in the fertility of a woman during her childbearing age. The woman reproductive system consists of various parts, which serve different functions (Chedrese, 2009). It consists of the vagina, cervix, vulva, Fallopian tubes or oviduct, ovaries and uterus. The female reproductive organ is the organ that produces the female egg which responsible for the fertility of the woman. This system produces the ovum, which is to the oviduct for fertilization. There are processes in the female reproductive system. The processes that make up the reproductive system include menstruation, ovulation, menopause, pregnancy and parturition. The female reproductive organ is into the internal organs and external organs (Chiras, 2011). The external female reproductive system Labia: These parts enclose the female reproductive systems, which appear like small lips. They are into major labia and minor labia, which produce secretions. In mature female, the labia is covered with pubic hair Clitoris: this is the point at which the major and minor labia meet. The clitoris is a small structure that protrudes from the vagina and has sensitive nerves. This part is highly sensitive, and when stimulated it becomes erect (Chedrese, 2009). The internal parts of the female reproductive system Vagina: this is the birth canal, which connects to the lower part of the uterus. The walls of the vagina have glands that secrete mucus, which serve to lubricate the vagina during sexual intercourse. Uterus: this is part of the female reproductive system where the foetus grows after fertilization. The lower part of the uterus is the cervix while the upper part of the uterus is as the corpus. The cervix connects the main uterus to the vagina. The corpus is elastic hence can expand and contract to accommodate the growing foetus (Chedrese, 2009). Ovaries: These oval shaped structures produce the female egg or ovum. There are two ovaries in each female located at the rear ends of the system. The ovaries also produce female sex hormones. The Fallopian tubes/Oviduct: These hollow structures connect the uterus to the ovaries. They provide that channel through which the egg can be transported from the sites of production to the uterus. Fertilization of the ovum takes place in the oviduct before the fertilized ovum travels to the uterus for development into a blastocyst (Chiras, 2011). Function of the female reproductive system The system serves as the site for the production of the female egg. The ovaries produce the ova, which are fertilized by the sperm. The vagina serves as the entrance of the sperms to the oviduct where fertilization takes place. The fertile oocyte is to the uterus for development. The uterus has walls, which produce hormones causing them to thicken for implantation of the foetus (Elavsky, 2009). When the ovaries produce the ova, but they do not meet male germ cell, the inner wall of the uterus thickens and falls out as menses. The normal system produces hormones that are responsible for maintaining the reproductive cycles in females. In fact, the female reproductive system produces hormones responsible for menstruation, hormones for maintaining pregnancy and all the female sex hormones. It is normal for the female reproductive system to stop producing female sex hormones during menopause. This is due to the fact that, when a woman approaches menopause there is a decrease in production of sex hormones and the menstruation cycle becomes irregular. When the woman reaches full menopause, menstruation stops and the systems cease to produce female sex hormones (Chedrese, 2009). Effects of Stress and Depression on Female Reproductive System Depression in women is a common thing especially when women are experiencing an abnormality in the reproductive system. Stress and depression have an effcect6 in the normal production of the female sex hormones. During stress, an individual may experience hormonal imbalance, which may cause fluctuating menstrual cycles. Biological and psychological abnormalities may contribute to depression in a woman. Menopause is one of the biological processes of the reproductive system, which is with hormonal imbalance in the body (Kafanelis et al., 2009). This is by mood changes, flushes and low esteem. Depression is to have a social impact in the normal life of the woman since it affects her socialization and relationships with other people (Horn & Miller, 2008). Case study Ann is 50 years old and has been experiencing abnormalities in her reproductive system for 5 years now. Ann stopped menstruating when she was 39 years old, and she did not experience any menstruation for about ten years. Five years ago, Ann started to experience menstruation and heavy bleeding something that has been depressing her. The doctors also diagnosed her with fibroids of the uterus, which results in hormonal imbalance. This causes the bleeding to be unpredictable such that Ann could bleed as she performs her normal duties. This limits her interactions with other members of the community. Ann is also filled with panic and anxiety since she fears that the problem may lead to more complications. In addition, her husband is worried of their sexual relationship with Ann since she shows lack of interest in sex. This problem has caused depression in Ann’s life such that Ann is no longer happy and seems stressed. The problem is so severe that Ann fails to interact effectively with other women since she fears that the problem may interfere with her normal life. She is very resistant to accept help from other people who are working with her. For the last five years, her friends have noticed Ann’s lack of motivation. Changes in Menopause Menopause is by both biological and psychological changes that have various effects on the reproductive system of a woman. The most notable change in menopause is the stopping of menstruation, which is due to less production of the female sex hormones. Initially the menstrual cycles become irregular and later stop altogether. The individual experiences lack of sleep a condition termed as insomnia (Stewart, 2007). Other symptoms included hot flashes, sweating of the skin especially at night and increased heart rate or palpitation. The person may also display a lack of interest in sex, vaginal dryness, changing moods and loss of memory (Avis et al., 2009). Abnormalities during Menopause Biological Abnormalities and menopause Vaginal bleeding during menopause is one of the biological problems that affect the psychology of many women. During menopause, the female reproductive system does not produce ova hence there is no menstruation. This means that a woman is not to bleed during menopause (Bauld & Brown, 2009). However, biological disorder that may affect the normal functioning of the system may cause alteration in the menopause cycle. Hormonal imbalance is also one of the factors that ha been observed to cause changes in the hormone production. In this case, the use of birth control pills that contain female sex hormones may interfere with the normal menopause process especially during the peri-menopause period (Guthrie et al., 2004). The hormonal imbalance in the systems causes a mimic of the normal menstrual cycle hence bleeding. This is when the woman has not fully entered the menopause stage. This means that the woman is still menstruating irregularly. Bleeding during menopause may be caused by various clinical disorders including fibrosis, and cancer of the womb or uterus (Philips, 2003). Fibrosis Fibroids in the uterus cause the uterine wall to thicken mimicking the thickening of the uterus wall during ovulation. Fibroids are benign growths or tumours that cause menorraghia. This growth in the uterus is cancerous and causes bleeding from the uterus since the tumour may slough off (Woods & Mitchell, 2005). Uterine Cancer Cancer that attacks the walls of the uterus may cause thickening and wearing or the endometrial walls. This causes hormonal imbalance hence interfering with normal functioning of the reproductive system (Price et al., 2008). Polyps These noncancerous growths occur in the uterus of the woman’s reproductive system. These growths are on the cervix, in the uterus walls and cervical canal. The presence of polyps may cause bleeding from the uterus (Hinchliff et al., 2007). Atrophy of the Endometrium This is the thinning of the endometrial in the inner parts of the uterus. Oestrogen produced during the normal life cycles of a woman's menstruation period maintains the thickening of the uterus walls. However, when the woman reaches menopause, the production of hormones such as progesterone and oestrogen reduces. The reduction in oestrogen levels causes the thinning of the endometrium. When the uterus walls are thin they become delicate and wears off easily causing unexpected bleeding during menopause (Philips, 2003). Endometrial Hyperplasia This condition results in thickening of the uterus walls. This is due to high levels of oestrogen and low level of progesterone in the body system, which may cause bleeding. The main contributing factor is obesity (Philips, 2003). Psychological Factors and Menopause The hormonal imbalances experienced during the early stages of menopause may result to psychological effects that may further affect the reproductive system. Changes in moods are common effects in menopause (Brown et al., 2009). Menopause triggers a hormonal imbalance, which cause paranoia in women. During this state, the person is with a lot of panic and anxiety. The person is also unable to associate fully with other individuals since she experiences unreasonable suspicion of the people around her (Avis et al., 2001). This affects the individual to the extent that her concentration becomes of low esteem affecting her relationship and career performances. This paranoia causes a swing in the moods of the individual (Stewart, 2007). An individual who experiences paranoia is also experiencing depression and stress. The sense of loneliness and low self-esteem results in lack of sleep among these people to the extent that they engage their nervous system into many thoughts. Some women experience stress, which contributes to the changing moods among women in menopause (Nir et al., 2007). The changing moods make the woman less active and experiences sexual dysfunction. The person becomes less interested in sex, and the person may have a feeling of regret (Chedraui et al., 2009). Social Dynamic Disturbances The abnormalities experienced in the reproductive system cause a lot of panic to women. Some women may take the onset of menopause with ease while others are likely to interpret the onset of menopause in different changes. Although the majority of the women respond well to menopause, a number of women are by the experience. This makes them associate less often with other members the community the abnormalities during menopause may also interfere with the social interaction. The individual experiences low esteem and stress. This impairs her cognition affecting her interaction behaviours. Sexual dysfunction affects the relationships and careers. The changes interfere with their interaction. For example, some women fear the fact that some of the changes especially moods changes may occur during a social gathering hence making them uncomfortable. This limits their association with other people (Nosek et al., 2010). Conclusion The female reproductive system is crucial in determining the social life of an individual. Changes in the normal functioning of the female reproductive system may cause biological disorder or psychological problems. Hormones change control processes that take place in the reproductive system or fluctuation in the hormones have an effect on the normal functioning of the system. Stress and depression are some of the factors that affect the ability of a woman to socialize effectively with other individuals. Stress also affects the menstrual cycle such that one experience irregular cycle. During menopause, many women experience different changes in the reproductive system. Menopause abnormalities are some of the factors that cause changes in moods of an individual. Bleeding in menopause mat results from various factors such as fibroids, polyps, and cancers. These disorders cause an imbalance in the female sex hormones resulting in bleeding. The bleeding occurs due to mimicking of the menstrual cycle. The psychological changes that affect the reproductive system include stress. These factors affect the association of women and contribute to low esteem and loneliness. Therefore, abnormalities in the female reproductive system may result from biological disorders or psychological abnormalities. These abnormalities cause mood changes and depression affecting the social interaction of an individual. References Avis, E., Colvin A., Bromberger, T., Hess, R., Matthews K. A., Ory M., & Schocken M. 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