| Ask Yourself…. | Yes | No |
|---|---|---|
| Are you pregnant? | ||
| Has your ability to have intercourse declined? | ||
| Do you have satisfactory intercourse? | ||
| Is your vagina (female) / semen (male) in a healthy condition? | ||
| Do you practice good personal hygiene? | ||
| Do you experience any unknown discharge from your reproductive organ? | ||
| Have you ever had any surgery of the reproductive organ? | ||
| Is there any foul odor from your vagina (female)? | ||
| Do you have to use the restroom frequently? | ||
| Do you have more than one sexual partner? |
One of the greatest miracles of the human race is our power to create new life. The human reproductive system must be protected at all cost because it is responsible for our very existence. Because of this, the defenses of the reproductive system, especially the female, are some of the toughest in the body.
Infectious organisms that enter a woman's body through the reproductive tract are met by a well-organized system of defenses. The reproductive tract is lined with mucous secreted by the vaginal lining. This mucous contains both acid and immune cells to kill most bacteria and other invaders. Tiny, waving cilia brush intruders out of the tract and create currents to sweep out most pathogens from this area. Antibodies monitoring the reproductive tract destroy the more persistent pathogens.
As the body labels all cells with simple "self" and "non-self" markers, sperm are also subjected to this treatment. That's why of the 200 to 500 million sperm that enter a woman's reproductive tract, over 100 million are destroyed on contact; only about a thousand reach the uterus and only a few hundred reach the fallopian tubes.
A fertilized egg is also attacked by this protection system. As an embryo contains genetic material from the mother and the father, the mother's immune system labels it as a non-self and produces antibodies to attack it. The placenta forms to bridge the mother's self-preservation function and the unborn infant's immune system. The placenta is tissue that connects the infant's umbilical cord to the uterus and filters oxygen and nutrients from the mother's blood to the fetus. This semi-permeable barrier locks out the mother's hostile antibodies and lets in beneficial antibodies for protection.
With all these obstacles, it is indeed a miracle that human life continues. These defenses are critical to the health of the body and when not well taken care of, that is, through a balanced diet, the reproductive system may not be able to protect us against life-threatening illnesses.