Local Health Clinic Counselor

Introduction

You are a health counselor at a local clinic. As of recently, multiple patients have been coming in, asking to be tested for pregnancy. When asked why they believe they are pregnant, they each say that they've been to the public swimming pool, rumored to have traces male ejaculate in it. It is your job to provide them with an informative, rational answer upon researching the topic. 

Task

Process

Upon reading the corresponding articles, consider the following guiding questions:

Swimming Pool Maintenance

What is the pH of the human body?

What is the ideal pH range for a swimming pool?

What does free available chlorine kill?

What does a continuous chlorine level prevent against?

What is used for swimmer wastes that can’t be filtered out of pool water?

What can be used to quickly restore water clarity?

Sperm Cell Release

How many sperm cells are present in a single ejaculation?

What number of egg and sperm are required for create a baby?

Besides the amount of sperm produced, what else is important for fertilization?

How You Conceive

When does ovulation usually occur?

How long does the average egg live?

How long does a sperm live inside a man’s body?

How much sperm is required to fertilize an egg?

How is sperm propelled to 10 miles per hour?

Is ovulation during the middle of the menstrual cycle for all women?

What distance in cm do sperm need to travel to reach the fallopian tubes?

How fast does sperm travel every 15 minutes?

How long can finding an egg take the fastest swimmers?

How long can finding an egg take the slowest swimmers?

How long will the sperm inside the vagina survive if they don’t find the egg?

You are not actually pregnant until what occurs?

How Long Can Sperm Survive After Ejaculation?

Exposure to what quickly kills sperm outside the body?

About how long can washed sperm survive in an incubator?

How long can sperm survive inside the vagina?

Can you get pregnant if sperm is near the vagina and has not dried?

What in a hot tub would kill sperm in seconds?

If a tub contains warm water, how long could sperm potentially survive?

Traveling through water with what path would sperm have to take in a tub to cause pregnancy?



With these data sources, consider the likelihood or pregnancy in each case and counsel each of the patients. At this point you will determine whether or not a blood test is necessary to confirm pregnancy. 

Evaluation

This questionnaire can be used to help determine if patients are likely to be pregnant and further action can be taken if necessary, depending on the answers. 



1. What kind of birth control are you using?

2. How old are you?

3. How did you calculate your ovulation?

4. Are your menstrual cycles regular?

5. How many times did you have intercourse during your fertile days?

6. Are you experiencing nausea?

7. Do your breasts feel tender?

8. Have you been having lower abdominal cramps?

9. Have you had any vaginal bleeding?

10. Are you more tired than usual?

11. Do you have unusual food cravings?

12. Have you been urinating more than usual?

13. Do you have any constipation?

14. When is your next menstrual period?

15. Have you taken a pregnancy test?

Conclusion

Bearing these questions in mind, is it likely that patients who entered the pool rumored to have male ejaculate in it pregnant?

How big is the average swimming pool?

How many gallons of water can a swimming pool hold?

What temperature is the average swimming pool?

What chemicals are present in a swimming pool?

How much sperm is present in one ejaculation?

How long can a sperm survive outside of the body?

What path does a sperm take to reach an ovum?

How long does a sperm take to reach the ovum?

How long does a woman ovulate for?

Approximately how long is a woman fertile for each month?

Teacher Page

Vedantee Boodoo

Miami Dade College