Glossary of terms used on this site
There are 324 entries in this glossary.S
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Salvage |
A procedure intended to ""rescue"" a patient after a failed prior therapy. |
| Scleroderma |
A disease of connective tissue with the formation of scar tissue (fibrosis) in the skin and sometimes also in other organs of the body. |
| Sclerosis |
Localized hardening of skin. |
| Scrotum |
A pouch of skin on men which contains the testes, epididymides, and lower portions of the spermatic cords. |
| Selective serotoni reuptake inhibitors |
See SSRI. |
| Semen |
The thick whitish fluid containing sperm (the male reproductive cells) that is expelled (ejaculated) through the end of the penis when the man reaches sexual climax (orgasm). |
| Seminal vesicles |
The sac-like pouches that attach to the vas deferens near the base of the urinary bladder. The seminal vesicles produce a fluid that contains sugar (fructose), enzymes, and nutrients. This fluid keeps the sperm energetic as well as liquefying thick mucus so that the sperm can move freely. The fluid of the seminal vesicles makes up most of the volume of a man's ejaculatory fluid, or ejaculate. |
| Sex hormones |
Substances (estrogens and androgens) responsible for secondary sex characteristics (hair growth and voice change in males). |
| Sex therapist |
A professional counselor for people with sexual disorders. |
| Sex therapy |
Counseling for sexual disorders. |
| Sexual dysfunction |
An abnormality in function of any component of the sexual response cycle. |
| Sexual response cycle |
The cycle of interest, arousal, climax, ejaculation, and detumescence. |
| Shaft of the penis |
Made up of the long, slender cylinders of tissue inside the penis that contain spongy tissue and expand to produce erections (corpora cavernosa). |
| Sickle cell anemia |
A genetic blood disease due to the presence of an abnormal form of hemoglobin, namely hemoglobin S . Hemoglobin is the molecule in red blood cells that transports oxygen from the lungs to the farthest areas of the body. |
| Sickle cell disease/sickle cell trait |
A condition that affects African-Americans. The red blood cells take on an abnormal shape (sickle) in response to decreased oxygenation, dehydration, and acidosis. This abnormal shape makes it difficult for the red blood cells to pass through the blood vessels and leads to blockages of the vessels, causing pain and ischemia to tissues. In the penis, it may lead to priapism. |