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| Fallopian tube |
The tube that extends from the uterus to the ovary. The fallopian tube transports eggs to the uterus and is where fertilization with sperm takes place.
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| Family planning |
See Contraception.
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| Feminisation |
The development of female sex characteristics.
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| Fertility |
The ability to produce children. In women fertility begins with the menarche and ends with the menopause. In men, fertility lasts from the first spontaneous ejaculation up to an advanced age (with wide individual differences).
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| Fertilization |
Union of the ovum and the sperm leading to formation of the zygote, the first cell of a new organism.
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| Foetus |
The stage of growth of a fertilized egg from the end of the eighth week after fertilization until birth. For the first 8 weeks the stage of growth is called an embryo.
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| Fibroid |
A noncancerous growth of the smooth muscle of the uterus. It appears firm, round, and grey-white. Multiple growths of this kind develop most often in the wall of the uterus. They usually occur in women between 30 and 50 years of age.
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| Follicle (ovarian follicle) |
A fluid-filled cavity in the ovary, developing under the influence of a hormone (follicle stimulating hormone FSH) during the menstrual cycle. When a follicle finally ruptures, an egg is released and travels through a fallopian tube (ovulation).
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| FSH |
Follicle stimulating hormone. Hormone produced by the pituitary gland that regulates the function of the gonads (in women the ovaries, in men the testes). In women, FSH stimulates the growth of the ovarian follicles and the production of estrogens. In men, FSH stimulates spermatogenesis.
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| FSH test |
A test to determine the blood level of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH).
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| Fundus |
The upper rounded portion of the uterus opposite the cervix.
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