Question

The nurse is preparing instruction about the menstrual cycle for adolescent patients. What will the nurse include about changes in the uterine endometrium during the second half of the cycle?

a. Thickening in preparation for implantation
b. Shedding in response to fertilization
c. Maintenance of a constant thickness
d. Absence of hormonal influence

Answer 1

The uterine endometrium thickens during the second half of the menstrual cycle in preparation for potential implantation, but if fertilization doesn't occur, it sheds during menstruation.

Step-by-step explanation:

The nurse is preparing instruction about the menstrual cycle for adolescent patients. When discussing changes in the uterine endometrium during the second half of the cycle, the nurse will include that the endometrium undergoes thickening in preparation for implantation. This is due to the increase in progesterone during the luteal phase. If fertilization does not occur, the corpus luteum degrades, and the subsequent drop in progesterone levels leads to the shedding of the endometrial lining during menstruation.