Overview

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Have you ever wondered:

What happens during an orgasm?
Why are millions of sperm released for just one egg?
What is IVF?
How the pill prevents pregnancy?
What causes hot flashes during menopause?

Despite being one of the most important processes in nature, human reproduction is still widely misunderstood by many of us.

In this foundational course, you will learn about human reproduction by exploring the underlying biology, the most common myths, and the latest medical advances. To help you understand the realities of making babies, having babies, and not having babies, we have pulled together a team of expert instructors that includes world-renowned researchers from the Robinson Research Institute.

Join us on a journey of discovery as we answer all those questions that you were too embarrassed to ask, and those questions that you never even knew you had about humanreproduction.

Syllabus

Week 1: Reproductive systems

Explore how biological sex is determined, and how this is different from sexuality and gender identity
Review the structure and function of the male and female reproductive systems and explore common cancers that can develop within these systems
Identify body changes that occur during puberty and understand what hormones are, and how they regulate reproductive function
Discover how sperm and oocytes (eggs) are created by comparing the processes of spermatogenesis and oogenesis.

Week 2: Sex

Consider the different reasons why people have sex and how they relate to human reproduction
Determine the differences between the 4 stages of the human sexual response cycle to understand the physiological changes that happen to the human body during sexual intercourse
Explore the most common sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and consider their causes, prevention and treatments.

Week 3: Fertilisation

Investigate the stages of natural fertilisation to understand how human life is created, including how sperm and oocyte (egg) travel through the body to prepare for fertilisation
Compare the major types of contraception (birth control) and understand how they prevent fertilisation
Understand the causes of infertility and consider some of the main clinical approaches used to assist reproduction.

Week 4: Pregnancy and childbirth

Discover the most appropriate biological age to have a baby and find out how a woman knows she’s pregnant
Learn how a mother’s body changes during pregnancy, and explore the major events of embryonic and fetal development
Explore how the placenta supplies food to a fetus and understand some of the placental problems that may arise during pregnancy
Find out what happens during childbirth and identify the physiological changes that occur to prepare a woman’s body for breastfeeding.

Week 5: Sex and ageing

Consider how ageing affects people’s ability to have sex and reproduce by investigating the most common sexual dysfunctions associated with ageing
Find out how menopause affects women in late adulthood by considering the hormonal, physical and behavioural changes that occur
Explore breast and prostate cancer to understand their cause, detection, and treatment.

Taught by

Kathy Gatford, Corinna Van Den Heuvel, Elizabeth Beckett, Danijela Menicanin, Paul Duggan, Mario Ricci, Rhaneela Punitham, Panashe Bamhare, Daniel Gutschmidt and Riya Abraham