Cervix: The lower, narrow end of the uterus which attaches the uterus to the vagina.

Endometriosis: A condition in which endometrial tissue (the lining of the uterus) grows outside of the uterus. Endometriosis can adhere to the ovaries, the fallopian tubes, and other pelvic organs. Endometriosis can cause extensive pelvic pain.

Endometrium: The tissue that lines the uterus and is shed each month during menstruation.

Estrogen: A female hormone produced in the ovaries that stimulates the growth of the lining of the uterus (the endometrium) in preparation for pregnancy.

Fallopian Tubes: Tubes through which an egg (ovum) travels from a woman's ovary to her uterus during ovulation.

Menopause: The process in a woman's life when her ovaries stop functioning and menstruation stops.

Menstruation: Menstruation is a woman's monthly bleeding (also called a period). When you menstruate, your body is shedding the lining (endometrium) of the uterus (womb). Menstrual blood flows from the uterus through the small opening in the cervix (the bottom portion of the uterus), and passes out of the body through the vagina (the birth canal). Most menstrual periods last from three to five days.

Ovaries: Two glands (located on either side of a woman's uterus) that contain the eggs (ova) released at ovulation and that produce female hormones.

Pap Smear (Pap Test): A test in which cells are swabbed from a woman's cervix and vagina and examined under a microscope.

Pelvic Exam: A manual internal and external examination of a woman's reproductive organs.

Progesterone: A female hormone produced in the ovaries that makes the lining of the uterus grow in preparation for pregnancy. When progesterone decreases, the lining releases from the uterus and menstruation occurs.

Sterilization: An operation or procedure that renders a woman unable to become pregnant or a man unable to father a child.

Uterus (womb): The muscular organ in a female's pelvis that contains and nourishes the developing fetus during a pregnancy.