Question

Any device or drug which prevents the pregnancy in women is called _______.

Answer 1

In the process of fertilization, the male gamete (sperms) tends to fuse with the female gamete (ovum or egg) to form a single-celled zygote. This event of fertilization occurs in the fallopian tube. The fertilized zygote then moves towards the uterus while it undergoes numerous mitotic divisions to form an embryo in which the cell number increases but cell enlargement or growth does not occur.

Step by step answer: When the fertilized zygote reaches the uterus and has divided up to 16-32 cells it is called a blastula. It then differentiates itself into inner cell mass and an outer layer called the trophoblast. This outer layer gets attached to the endometrial lining of the uterus while the inner cell mass undergoes division to form an embryo. The trophoblast layer develops numerous finger-like projections called chorionic villi that help the blastula to get embedded into the uterus and eventually it gets covered by the endometrial lining completely. This event is called implantation and it leads to pregnancy. In case, the couple is not ready or does not want to have a child, various methods to avoid the pregnancy are available like drugs and some devices also. Therefore, the drugs and the devices that terminate the pregnancy are called birth control devices or contraceptives. This can be achieved by avoiding the fertilization of egg and sperm. A wide range of contraceptive methods are available such as natural methods, barriers, IUD’s, oral contraceptives, injectables, implants and surgical methods.

Note: The contraceptives are used for avoiding unnecessary pregnancies. Therefore, an ideal contraceptive should be user-friendly, easily available, and effective with no or very few side effects. Also, it should not interfere with the sexual desire or sexual act of the user.