Uterus


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Uterus


The uterus is a hollow, pear-shaped organ in a woman's lower abdomen in which a fetus grows during pregnancy. When a woman is not pregnant, her monthly menstrual period flows from the uterus.

The lower part of the uterus (cervix) opens into the vagina. The opening to the cervix is narrow except during labor and birth, when it stretches and widens to accommodate the baby's passage out of the uterus.

Credits


Author Jeannette Curtis
Author Caroline Rea, RN, BS, MS
Editor Kathleen M. Ariss, MS
Editor Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA
Associate Editor Tracy Landauer
Associate Editor Pat Truman, MATC
Primary Medical Reviewer Patrice Burgess, MD - Family Medicine
Primary Medical Reviewer Adam Husney, MD - Family Medicine
Primary Medical Reviewer Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine
Last Updated May 25, 2007

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Last updated: May 25, 2007
Author: Caroline Rea, RN, BS, MS
Reviewed By: Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine
Editors: Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA, Pat Truman, MATC

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