PrepU: Chapter 3: Anatomy and Physiology of the Reproductive System

A woman tells you that both she and her husband like to continue sexual relations during her menstrual period. They have a monogamous relationship. She asks you if this will harm her. Which of the following would be the best response?

"If this is satisfying for you and your partner, then there is no harm in it."

A woman experiencing menopausal symptoms asks the nurse about herbal remedies for managing her symptoms. Which response by the nurse would be most appropriate?

"Most of the information about herbal therapies is based on reports by those who have used them, not scientific studies."

A patient with vaginismus has attended counseling to treat the disorder. Which patient statement indicates that treatment has been effective?

"Sex is not a bad thing but can be enjoyed with my husband."

A pregnant client, 32 weeks' gestation, remarks during a routine prenatal visit, "Sex is becoming difficult for us." Which of the following would be the best response?

"Sexual relations during pregnancy is a common concern. What do you mean by difficult?"

A client asks the nurse questions about female hygiene and wants to know if she should douche to clean her vagina. Which response by the nurse would be most appropriate?

"You do not need to douche; the vagina is self-cleaning."

The nurse is teaching a client about fertility and the various phases of the menstrual cycle. The nurse should point out that ovulation usually occurs on which day of a 28-day cycle?

14

The nurse is working with a young couple who are trying to conceive. The nurse recognizes that the clients understand the basics of the reproductive cycle when they identify that ovulation usually occurs at which day during a 28-day cycle?

14

Which of the following teenage girls is most likely to have secondary amenorrhea?

17-year-old, gymnast preparing for competition

It is important that couples who wish to practice natural forms of birth control understand that the mucus-secreting glands of the cervix can store live sperm for up to:

48 hours

A 14-year-old you see in an ambulatory setting asks you about menstruation. Which of the following would be an important point to teach her about menstrual health?

A prostaglandin inhibitor best relieves pain.

The nurse is reviewing the structure and function of various organs in the female reproductive system. Which information should the nurse include about the ovum in the review with the client?

All the ova a female will ever have are present at birth

A client asks the nurse about cervical mucus changes that occur during the menstrual cycle. Which statement should the nurse expect to include in the client's teaching plan?

As ovulation approaches, cervical mucus is abundant and stretchable.

You see a 3-year-old girl in an ambulatory clinic because she has a bad cold. Her mother tells you the girl's problem was caused by her being affected by "mal ojo." Which of the following would be the best action?

Ask her mother what symptoms her daughter is experiencing. Correct

A nurse is caring for an adolescent girl experiencing menstruation for the first time. What are the changes that occur in the body at this stage that the nurse should share with the adolescent girl?

Breast development

While caring for a pregnant woman of Middle Eastern descent a nurse attempts to mold the patient's choices to fit what she calls the "American Way." When questioned, she reports it is best and easier to plan and deliver care this way. Based upon your knowledge you recognize this as:

Cultural destructiveness

A boy tells you that his family celebrates the Fourth of July by eating out at a local restaurant. He tells you this is a better way to celebrate the holiday than having a picnic like his neighbors. This statement represents which of the following?

Ethnocentrism

When describing the process of fertilization, the nurse would explain that it normally occurs in which structure?

Fallopian tube

The nurse completes an assessment of an adolescent patient's menstrual pattern. Which finding should the nurse identify as being within normal limits?

Flow usually lasts 4 to 6 days.

The nurse is assessing a 16-year-old female on a routine well-child visit. Which assessment finding will the nurse predict this healthy female will report concerning her menstrual cycles?

Flow usually lasts 4 to 6 days.

After teaching a health education class on the female reproductive cycle, the nurse determines that the teaching was effective when the group identifies which phase as belonging to the ovarian cycle?

Follicular phase

The nurse needs to assess a patient for biologic gender. Which of the following factors would be most important to assess?

Hair distribution

A young woman is trying to get pregnant. She asks the nurse to recommend a practical way that she can tell the point in her monthly cycle when she will have the best odds of getting pregnant. Which recommendation by the nurse would be best?

Have sex when the cervical mucus is thin, stretchy, and copious

To assess the sociocultural aspects of the family of an adolescent in an ambulatory clinic, about which of the following would you ask?

His family structure

An adolescent tells you that it is taboo in his family to use credit cards. You would interpret this to mean which of the following?

His parents do not use credit cards

The nurse is reviewing the functions of the ovaries, uterus, clitoris, and vagina with a group of high school students. Which response by a high school student about the function of the clitoris would be accurate?

It is a small erectile structure that responds to sexual stimulation.

The nurse is preparing instruction about the menstrual cycle for adolescent patients. What will the nurse include about changes in the uterine endometrium during the second half of the cycle?

It is corkscrew-like because of progesterone stimulation.

The nurse is preparing an educational session about menstruation for a group of adolescents. Which hormone should the nurse instruct as initiating ovulation?

Luteinizing hormone

The vagina is at risk for infection because of its location and because it opens to the outside of the body. What is a protective mechanism of the vagina to keep it from becoming infected?

Normal vaginal pH is acidic (4 to 5), which protects from infection

A client is trying to have a baby and wants to know the best time to have intercourse to increase the chances of pregnancy. Which time for intercourse is ideal to help her chances of conceiving?

One or 2 days before ovulation

A girl comes from a large family that you analyze as being extended. In planning hospital care for her, which factor would be most important for you to consider?

Organizing nursing care at times other than visiting hours.

After an examination, a pregnant patient is diagnosed with a cystocele. How should the nurse explain this finding to the patient?

Pouching of the bladder into the vaginal wall

The nurse is reviewing with a group of high school students that the hypothalamus, pituitary gland, and gonads all contribute to hormonal regulation of the female reproductive system. Based on this information, what is the specific hormone that functions primarily during pregnancy?

Progesterone

A nurse is teaching a sex education class and is discussing sexual response. She describes a 30-minute period during which external and internal genital organs return to an unaroused state. What is this phase of sexual response known as?

Resolution

After teaching a class on the female reproductive system, the nurse determines that the teaching was successful when the class identifies which action as the primary function of the ovaries?

Secretion of estrogen and progesterone

Hormonal regulation of reproductive functions in both the male and the female are complicated processes. In the male, where are the sex hormones produced?

Testes

As part of a cancer-screening program, a nurse is teaching women how to conduct monthly breast self-exams. Which area does the nurse advise them is most often missed in this exam?

The armpit

A young male client asks the nurse about circumcision, since he was never circumcised as an infant. Which rationale would be appropriate for exploring circumcision in an adult male?

The client has experienced recurring balanoposthitis and phimosis.

Which statement best expresses the role of the corpus luteum?

The corpus luteum secretes progesterone to promote the preparation of the endometrium for implantation.

The nurse is teaching a couple trying to conceive about the changes in the cervical mucus near the time of ovulation. The nurse determines the session is successful when the couple correctly choose mucus in which form as indicating ovulation has occurred?

Thin and copious

The nurse is reviewing the functions of the ovaries, uterus, clitoris, and vagina with a group of high school students. What would be the best response by a high school student about the function of the vagina?

To receive sperm, to provide an exit for menstrual flow, and to serve as the birth canal

The nurse is creating a diagram that illustrates the components of the male reproductive system. Which structure would the nurse include as a major structure to help ensure fertilization of the ovum?

Vas deferens

A woman you care for in a prenatal setting is found to have a cystocele. You would explain to her that this is:

a pouching of the bladder into the vaginal wall.

The nurse discusses measures to prevent infection of the reproductive tract with a client. The nurse determines that the client has understood the information when the client identifies which component as helping to protect against vaginal infections?

acidic environment

When a woman is admitted to the labor and delivery unit, her husband says he is going to work and asks you to call when the baby is born. Your best response to this husband would be to:

ask him if he knows that he can stay with his wife during labor.

The nurse is assessing a female client who is having difficulty experiencing an orgasm. Which action should the nurse point out as necessary for an orgasm in females?

clitoral stimulation

It is important that a nurse recognizes there are cultural differences that will have an influence on the care of the client. Some cultures practice female circumcision, which involves the removal of the:

clitoris.

When caring for a woman in her sixth month of pregnancy, she reports her plans to nurse for at least two to three years like the rest of the women in her family. Based upon your knowledge you:

document her report but do nothing as this is a cultural belief that should be respected.

A group of nursing students are preparing a presentation for a health fair illustrating what happens to the body during pregnancy. Which structure will the students point out is influenced the most by hormones to prepare for conception?

endometrium

You care for a patient who has a retroverted uterus. You would explain that this means her:

entire uterus is tipped backward.

A mother brings her 10-year-old daughter to the clinic for a routine visit. The mother tells the nurse that she has noticed her daughter beginning to develop and asks the nurse about when her daughter may begin menstruating. The nurse understands that many factors are involved in determining the age at which menstruation begins. Which factor would the nurse include in the response as most important?

genetics

Which hormone stimulates the release of the follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) from both male and female glands?

gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH)

A nurse is putting together educational material for clients who desire to learn about how to get pregnant. Part of this information will explain that fertilization occurs:

in the fallopian tubes.

The nurse is reviewing the role of the mammary glands in the reproductive process with a birth class. What should the nurse tell the class is the name of the ducts in the mammary glands that form a small reservoir for milk?

lactiferous

The school nurse is teaching a group of adolescent females about the menstrual cycle. The nurse determines the session is successful when the group correctly chooses which phase as part of the ovarian cycle?

luteal

A nurse is obtaining a health history from a female client who reports that she started menstruating at age 11 years. The nurse would document this as:

menarche, age 11.

After teaching a group of women about reproduction and the structures involved, the nurse determines that the teaching was successful when the group identifies which female reproductive structure as comparable to the male testes?

ovaries

A woman comes to the clinic for an evaluation. During the visit, the woman tells the nurse that her menstrual cycles have become irregular. She states, "I've also been waking up at night feeling really hot and sweating." How should the nurse interpret these findings?

perimenopause

A nurse is reviewing the medical record of a woman who has given birth vaginally. The record reveals that the client required a right mediolateral episiotomy during birth. When assessing the client, the nurse would inspect which area to evaluate the status of the episiotomy?

perineum

The nurse is answering questions from a newborn's parents concerning a circumcision. Which structure will the nurse point out is removed during the procedure?

prepuce

The nurse is preparing to teach a client and her partner about the hormones involved in menstruation. Which hormone will the nurse point out is secreted by the corpus luteum?

progesterone

Which hormone is called the hormone of pregnancy because it reduces uterine contractions during pregnancy?

progesterone

A young mother is expressing frustration of not being able to breastfeed her infant. A potential cause could be the lack of the hormone:

prolactin.

Put the phases of the menstrual cycle in correct order from first to last. All options must be used.

proliferative phase secretory phase ischemic phase menses phase

A nurse is preparing a presenstation on the menstrual cycle for a health fair. Which phase will the nurse illustrate as producing progesterone?

secretory

A woman has been assessing her basal body temperature for 4 months. Upon reviewing her temperature history log, the nurse notes no change in her daily temperatures. Which should the nurse expect the health care provider to prescribe first?

serum progesterone level

A nurse is assisting with the pelvic examination of a female client. The client has given birth to two living children, ages 5 and 2 years. The nurse would expect the client's cervical os to appear as which shape on examination?

slit-like

The school nurse is teaching a health education class on the male reproductive system. The nurse determines the class is successful when the students correctly point out which structure produces sperm?

testes

A nurse is conducting a health class for a group of adolescents about male and female reproduction. When describing the testes, the nurse would explain that these organs are important for manufacturing which hormone?

testosterone

The nursing instructor is teaching a group of nursing students about the menstrual cycle. The instructor determines the session is successful when the students correctly choose which action as responsible for the increased thickness of the endometrium?

the increasing level of estrogen

Which client should the nurse flag for the health care provider to assess first?

the male client with three palpable masses in the testes

A nurse is teaching a group of women at the local health clinic about reproduction. After describing the various internal structures involved, the nurse determines that the teaching was successful when the group identifies which structure as connecting the external structures with the cervix?

vagina